


Cat's New Toy

by Beneath_the_Trees



Series: The Cat and His Wolf [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Bi Adrien, Faint mentions of Love Square in early chapters, I added too many relationship tags, I'm not good at tagging, Innocent love, Like, M/M, Multi, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Probably inaccurate depiction of aphonia, REALLY slow, Slow Burn, Tags will be added as I go because SPOILERS ARE IN TAGS FROM THIS POINT ON, Takes place a year after season 1, faint mentions of child abuse, fast paced relationship that is actually going to be surprisingly healthy, female/female/male - Freeform, i'm making the three of them soulmates :3, my character is unable to speak, only two main pairings, polyamorus relationship, slight angst, story within story, they are all around the age of 15, two lovely plotlines
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-15
Updated: 2017-02-06
Packaged: 2018-08-22 13:46:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 37
Words: 89,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8287865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beneath_the_Trees/pseuds/Beneath_the_Trees
Summary: When a new boy with a long forgotten Kwami and Miracle Stone appears in Paris, Ladybug and Chat Noir are nothing less than surprised. With the name "Wolven" and a silver mask to hide his identity, this boy has the crime fighting duo at a loss. That very same day, Adrien and Marinette got a new classmate; a boy with startling white hair and brilliant red eyes, and the name Jasper. Sitting three rows behind Adrien, the model can't help but become curious over the quiet male who never uttered a word all day.Tikki and Plagg seem to be hiding something, Marinette's jealous of the boy who's stolen Adrien's attention, Chat Noir's feeling conflicted, and Jasper's never felt so alive while keeping so many secrets from his friends.





	1. The Snow-haired Male

**Author's Note:**

> I am so sorry if the characters start off OoC, it's just going to be for this chapter, hopefully, since it won't be from my character's point of view.
> 
> This story can be found on Wattpad and Fanfiction.net under the same name.
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

Adrien had just sat down with Nino in their usual seats, waiting for class to start as they talked about making possible plans. "Adrien, can you hang out on Friday?"

"I might be able to around 6 or so... I don't know. Nino, you know my father-"

Nino cut him off with a sigh, shaking his head. "Yeah, I know. Don't worry about it, Adrien. Let's just plan for you to come over and play videogames,  and if your father decides to cram a photo shoot in then just text me."

"I'm sorry, Nino. Really." Adrien sighed and his usual smile fell, but Nino gave him a reassuring smile and placed his hand on his shoulder as the bell rang, and together they turned to face the front of the classroom, waiting for the teacher to walk in.

"Hey, look! Miss Bustier has someone with her!" Alya said excitedly behind him, causing him to look towards the door along with a few more people in the class.

As the teacher opened the door and stepped into the room, the class fell silent as an extra pair of footsteps accompanied her's. Adrien's eyes widened when he saw the person, a boy his age who had snow white hair and striking red eyes. The boy's eyes traveled slowly around the classroom, and when they landed on Adrien he felt his heart pound in his chest. He looked so scared and nervous, even a little sick. He reminded Adrien of his first day at public school.

He smiled at him in what he hoped looked reassuring, and watched as the teacher led him by the small of his back into the front of the classroom. The boy's bag was resting against his hip and slung over his shoulder, but he was holding a notebook so tight to his chest that his knuckles were turning white. His body was shaking ever so slightly, and Adrien wished he could help calm the boy from Chloe's accusing gaze now that the teacher had placed him in line with her seat for his introduction.

"Everyone, this is Jasper Wells, a transfer from America. Now, normally in these scenarios we'd have the person introduce themselves, but due to an accident, Jasper can no longer speak." At the mention of this accident, Jasper flinched and a hand shot up to his throat. The teacher gave him a quick apology and looked back to the class as his hand slowly moved back to his notebook. "Please be kind to him and treat him well, alright?" She looked around and hummed slightly in thought before pointing towards Nathanael. "Why don't you sit next to Nathanael, I'm sure he'd love to help you get used to the school."

Jasper nodded, seemingly ignoring Chloe's scoff about his condition. Adrien gave her a little glare, but he wondered if he even heard it. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Marinette giving Chloe a particularly harsh glare of her own.

He watched, much like the rest of the class, as Jasper sat down and flipped to a page in the notebook he held, showing it to Nathanael. The quiet red-head smiled and nodded, returning a greeting. The teacher cleared her throat and smiled. "Alright, everyone. Let's start the lesson now, okay?" With that, Adrien turned to face the teacher once again, making a mental note to talk to Jasper as soon as he could.

\--------

As the bell rang, Adrien stood and collected his things, watching as kids swarmed around Jasper like moths to a flame. "Aw man, I wanted to get to him before everyone else!" Alya said with a sigh. Nino laughed softly at her reaction and Adrien sighed before looking at his friends. "We should go, before we end up late. We can talk to him later when he isn't being overwhelmed."

"Are you sure we should leave him like that? He looked beyond terrified..." Marinette said softly, looking over with a worried expression to where the crowd of students swarmed.

"The last thing he probably needs is more people walking up to him and trying to talk to him." Alya said almost knowingly, taking the clumsy girl's hand and pulling her out of the room. Adrien glanced longingly towards the new boy, seeing his nervous expression for a moment as Kim began trying to talk to him. His heart hurt as he saw such an expression his face, before looking at Nino and nodding. "Let's go."

\--------

That night, as Ladybug and Chat Noir chased after the most recent Akuma victim, a baseball player who seemed to have lost an important game, the last thing they expected to see was a blur of white and hear a growl as whatever it was passed them. They screeched to a halt, staring at the blur as it jumped from the roof, and they saw that it was a boy as he was finally moving at a more human speed while he fell through the air.

He had blindingly white hair and what looked to be a wolf tail and ears. His outfit was not a skintight body suit like Chat and Ladybug had, but instead looked like ninja gear. His pants were navy blue at the bottom and slowly became a maroon color as it became a shirt. The shirt had no sleeves, and halfway down his biceps long gloves with with sharpened claws covered his hands. He had bandages on his right calf and near the top of his right arm glove, and a white vest covering the top of his outfit. Resting on the back of his hands and arms, were white metal guards. Like the super duo, he had a mask covering his eyes. The mask was a silver gray, with a small twirling design along half of it.

The male gracefully fell through the air like he had done it all the time, and he was heading straight for Fastball. He landed on the Akuma victim's back and he held on tight, making Fastball scream in annoyance. The scream made the duo snap out of their surprise and they ran after them, reaching the rooftops right above the fight. Ladybug called out her Lucky Charm, and was slightly annoyed to see that it was some giant water balloon catapult.

What do I do with this? She thought, looking around.

A deep growl broke Chat Noir and Ladybug's gazes from planning to seeing what was going on beneath them. The strange male with ears and tail just as white as his hair was crouched low on all fours, snarling inhumanly at the Akuma. The crumbling wall of a building off to the side was proof enough that he had gotten tossed from Fast Ball's back. "Hey! Stop lazing around and help, you two!" He snapped rather harshly. Ladybug gasped from his rudeness and Chat Noir laughed sheepishly. 

"Well, we better help. My lady, do you have a plan?" Chat asked, grinning at his partner as the battle continued down below. 

"I think so." Ladybug responded, looking around. She spotted a nearby lamppost the perfect distance away from a tree, and the chunks of rubble from the stranger's crash, then the fight. She could see the white-haired male watching them, waiting for a signal. 

"Alright, Chat, I need you to grab a chunk of rubble that will fit into this pouch and meet me at the lamppost and tree." She said, watching him nod before bounding off to the rubble. She rushed to the lamppost and got one side of the catapult attached to the lamppost and stretched it to the tree. Chat came running with the rubble and together they placed it in the pouch and stretched it back, aiming for Fastball. The stranger saw what they were doing and he leapt out of the way, climbing up the side of the nearby building and watching as Fastball turned to face the duo. With a snarky pun from Chat, the duo let go of the catapult and the rubble when flying straight towards its target.

Fastball, seeing the rubble coming close and his instincts kicking in, took his large bat and swung, hitting the rubble with all his might. The bat broke, and a small black butterfly flew out of it. Ladybug used her yoyo to catch the Akuma, and when she brought it back, released it, showing the pure white butterfly that flew away.

"Bye-bye, pretty butterfly." She said as they watched it fly away, before throwing her lucky charm into the air after removing it from the tree. All the damage was fixed, and the stranger came bounding over to them. "Thanks for finally stepping in there. Who are you two?" He asked, smirking slightly as he crossed his arms over his chest. Chat and Ladybug were surprised to see two different-colored eyes, a scar peaking out from the edges of the mask around the red left eye. His right eye was blue. 

Chat was the first to speak. "My name is Chat Noir. This here is my partner, Ladybug." He draped an arm over her shoulders and leaned in to nuzzle her, but she quickly ducked out from his hold and lightly pushed him away by the nose. "Isn't she just the cat's meow?" He said dreamily, laughing softly at Ladybug's roll of her eyes.

The stranger didn't seem very impressed, but his eyes seemed interested in the people in front of him. "Mhm... My name is Wolven, and I'm here to help you defeat Hawkmoth." He said, when it suddenly seemed like a flip was switched and a smile grew on his face.

Chat Noir found that he instantly liked that smile. 

"My Kwami told me to find you, but I wasn't expecting people around my age. How long have you guys had your kwamis? Your powers? Did you tell each other your secret identities, or are they still secret? I got my Kwami a few months ago, and I just moved here yesterday. I'm glad I was able to meet you guys so soon!" He began rambling, and Ladybug frowned, holding her hands up to stop him from continuing. "Hold on, what's with all the questions?"

The boy, Wolven, gasped and placed a hand over his mouth in shock. "Sorry! I-I just... I have a lot of questions and I normally don't get to talk in my civilian-"

Two beeps cut Wolven off, one from the necklace around his neck as a stripe on the middle pendant disappeared, and the other from Ladybug's earrings. She was down to four, while he was down to two. Wolven seemed more distressed than he should, and Chat couldn't help but wonder why.

"I-I should go, um... I'll see you guys later, I guess. When we have more time to talk." He quickly went bounding off, leaving the other heroes standing and staring at where he used to be.

"Well, I should go, too. See you later, kitty!" She waved and used her yoyo to swing away, and after waiting a moment, Chat Noir left as well, heading home to contemplate the arrival of the two new males with the white hair he met today.


	2. Hiding Who I Really Am

"Jasper, come on... You need to go to school, I'm sure you'll just blend into the crowd now!" A tiny voice drifted closer to me and I felt a gentle tug on my hair, trying to pull my face from the pillow. I let out a very weak, very hoarse groan and tried to swat my little Kwami away, but instead I got a slightly harsher tug on my hair.

Internally sighing, I sat up and glared at the gray and white, floating creature smirking as smugly as he could with his muzzle. Everyone, this is my Kwami, Neeks. He's centuries old and he dates even further back than Ancient Egypt. Apparently the local superheroes Ladybug and Chat Noir have kwamis younger than Neeks, but have still been a lot more active. He never told me the details, but apparently he had been out of action for many centuries until recently. Sometimes he would say something about how no one was really worthy enough to be the next Wolven, other times he just... Looks sad. It makes me wonder about what happened, but I can't very well ask him. I know what it's like, having something personal that you don't want to share, only to have people asking you about it all the time.

"Come on, the second day is never as bad as the first!" He said softly, resting on my shoulder. I rubbed my throat and looked down, shaking my head. Yesterday was too much. Nathanael was nice, and he respected my boundaries, but all the other kids were too much. They kept asking questions, and crowding around me. The only other kids who didn't come near me were four of the kids in the front. I don't know their names, although the blond boy was practically everywhere I looked outside of the school; posters, magazines, ads- everything.

To be honest, I wanted to try talking to them. They seemed really nice, and they didn't crowd me like everyone else. The blond had even tried to calm me down with a smile when I walked into the classroom. It was a little unnerving to have my entrance to the class be recorded by the ombré haired girl, though.

The blonde girl, Chloe, was actually pretty scary. She wouldn't stop glaring at me and when I was surrounded by everyone, she had tried to get me to talk, saying that I was lying about not being able to speak. No one else believed her except for the girl who sat next to her in class. What was her name? Sabrina?

"Earth to Jasper! Get going, or you're going to be late!"

I looked at my clock on my bedside and my eyes widened when I saw the time. I only had ten minutes to get to school on time. Was I really moping for over an hour? I quickly got dressed and ran my hands through my hair, before grabbing my bag and notebook, motioning for Neeks to hide in my jacket's pocket. He flew in and I ran out my door, waving goodbye to my mom along the way. I was really glad she chose a house close enough that on days like today I could run to school without a problem.

I ran into the classroom right as the bell rings for class to start and sighed, although the sound only comes out in my head. I rushed to my seat, ignoring the stares, and smiled a greeting to Nathanael, who gave me a smile back. I flipped open my notebook went go to one of my folded up pages, the folded part highlighted yellow, for easy access.

"Hi." It said, followed by, "How are you?"

"I'm fine, thanks. Are you okay? You just barely made it to class on time." He said softly, looking a little worried. I smiled and nodded, flipping to another folded page, this one highlighted light green.

"Thank you. I'm alright." Then to another page, this one blank. I began writing my response as Miss Bustier walked in, "I was running late. I didn't really want to come today, I don't want to get surrounded again." I showed him the notebook and he nodded, patting me on the shoulder before we both focused on the teacher.

Almost fifteen minutes after class started, the girl in the front with black hair comes in. What was her name?

"Marinette, late again, I see."

Oh, that's what her name is.

Class dragged by, and I was glad that when class was over, no one swarmed me. I waved goodbye to Nathanael after gathering my things, and started to leave the classroom when the ombré haired girl called out to me. I stopped and turned to face her, tilting my head to the side curiously.

"Hey, Jasper, may I ask you a few questions?"

"Alya, don't! Let him relax, okay?" Marinette smiled at me and I blinked before flipping open to a page that was kind of folded, but not really. "What do you want to ask?" I showed them as I walked closer. I noticed that the two boys that sat in front of Alya and Marinette stayed behind as well.

Alya seemed super excited that I stayed to answer her questions, but the teacher shooed us out before she could ask any. Outside the room, though, I let her ask a few questions, a little nervous now that she was recording.

"Okay, first off, why exactly can't you talk? If this is too personal, just let me know." Almost immediately, while I became more nervous, I flipped to the very first page in my notebook, both corners folded and covered in markers and highlighters. In the center of the page was one word, "Aphonia."

Around it I had placed smaller sentences and words, "Accident. Don't want to talk about it. Look it up. Scarred vocal cords. Can make certain sounds, but no words."

All four kids around me looked at the page and the blond boy seemed to be sad when he read it. "Alright... Have you heard of Chat Noir and Ladybug?" I nodded and started writing in my notebook again. "Yeah. Chat Noir is really cute and funny, in my opinion. Ladybug is cool, too." I wrote, showing her the page hesitantly. She nodded and was about to ask another question before the boy with headphones gasped. "We need to get to class, guys! The bell's about to ring!" With than, we split up and went to our next period, knowing we'd all meet up again in English and Physics.

\--------

The Akuma attacked during Physics.

I don't really remember much, just the deafening roar of a lion and Miss Mendeleev tell us to get out and go home as quick as we could. I moved on autopilot as Neeks lightly pressed himself against me to let me know he was still there, and I found a place to transform. Neeks flew from my jacket as he finished eating a piece of candy, and he flew into my necklace.

I closed my eyes and opened them once again when the transformation was done, feeling the mask on my skin and the ears and tail attached to me. I could feel the pain in my throat disappear as the transformation fixed my vocal cords, and a laugh bubbled its way to the surface. I felt like screaming at the top of my lungs, just like every time I transform and can get my voice back. I missed these feelings that everyone takes for granted. I missed having the ability to voice my thoughts without pen and paper.

I rushed out of my hiding spot and towards the Akuma attack, smirking slightly when I saw Chat was already there. "Would you like help, kitkat?" I asked, trying to sound more snarky and confident than I really was as Chat was knocked back against the side of the school building by a man dressed like a lion. Why he was, I'll probably never know. He wasn't so much a talker as he was a growler or a roarer, as he snarled at me and moved to attack just as I made myself known.

Before I could dodge, a yoyo wrapped around the lion-man's waist and pulled him back, making me frown. "I could have dodged that, you know!"

"No, actually, I don't!" Ladybug said with a sigh as she came over to the rail I was on, Chat joining us a moment later and he smirked. "Nice to see you again, Wolfy."

"It's _Wolven_ , Chat Noir."

Chat looked like he was about to respond but another growl snapped my attention away from the other superheroes and to the lion-man.

"Catch me up here. Why is this man in a lion suit?"

"He's an actor. One of the parents of another class' student, and my guess is someone made fun of his latest acting job." He said as all three of us jumped out of the way of the lion-man's claws. I smirked and laughed as I landed on all fours on the ground. "You guys come up with a plan, I'll take care of this kitty cat in the mean time."

"What? How? You don't even have a weapon!" Ladybug said skeptically, a small frown on her lips. I smirked and laughed again. "Just trust me, little bug."

"Stop ignoring me!" The akumatized man snarled, and I walked closer, my tail swishing around playfully behind me. "I'll be your opponent, Lion. Ready to play with a dog?" I growled softly and I faintly heard Neeks in the corners of my mind.

_Be careful, don't bite off more than you can chew, Jasper. You're still getting used to your powers._

I gave a tiny little nod and I rushed towards the man, clenching my hands into fists and allowing metal claws to come from the metal plates on the back of my hands. I bounded towards the man as he came charging at me with his own claws, and together we began a dance.

Swing. Duck. Sidestep. Jump. Attack.  
Swing. Dodge. Jump. Block.

Adrenaline of a fight I had never felt before pumped through my veins, all my senses were both heightened and dulled. I barely remember getting scratched on my arm by his claws, I barely remember hearing Ladybug yell at me to move out of the way, I barely remember yelling at her where the Akuma was. I remember strong arms grabbing me and moving me out of the way as Ladybug's yoyo breezed past my ear, a polka-dotted mouse on the end, watching as the lion-man's pupils grew wide. I looked up and saw Chat holding me, his own eyes growing slightly wide.

"Hey kitkat, don't start playing chase on us now, okay?" I tapped his cheek and his green eyes snapped towards me. He laughed nervously and smiled widely. "Oops. Sorry."

I felt my feet touch the ground once more and watched as Ladybug tore the small pocket-sized lion in half and capture the Akuma. She threw the mouse in the air and we watched as her cleansing magic got to work, fixing the damage done to the school and the city.

"So... When do you guys usually do patrol and how do you do it? I'll help you." I looked up at Chat since he was a bit taller than me by an inch or two, and then to Ladybug, who didn't seem all that happy I was there. Not that I minded her reaction or anything.

"Why should we let you join us? How do we know you aren't working for Hawkmoth?"

"Ladybug, he's been helping us, and he has a Kwami just like us! I think that's proof enough!"

"His miraculous was almost clawed off! If he's working with us he shouldn't have let it be that easy to take!"

My miraculous did what? I looked down and saw that one of the two chains I used to keep my miraculous on had been sliced. Well, I guess I need to get a new chain now.

"Oh... Well, to be honest, I've only had my miraculous for around a month, and back where I used to live, I never had akumas to fight. This is all new to me. Let me show you that you can trust me. I'll help with patrols and tell you anything you want to know, just... Let me help you with this. I don't want to lose this... Amazing freedom." I felt like I was rambling again, but hearing my own voice again was something I couldn't stop listening to. It's been three years since I last heard it.

Chat and Ladybug glanced at each other and Ladybug sighed. "Alright,fine... Meet us at the Eiffel Tower at 8:00 tonight. Okay, Wolven?"

I smiled and bowed. "You've got it, Ladybug." Her miraculous beeped a warming, and she ran off after waving. I look back to Chat Noir, who was about to leave, and grab his hand. "Wait, please. Chat, why did you... Why do you trust me so much already? Ladybug's right, I could be working for that man, Hawkmoth. Maybe I lied about having a Kwami. Why trust me so soon?"

He looked at me and seemed to think about his words before he smiled and pat me on the shoulder. "You're face when I met you yesterday. It was so excited and so happy to be out there, fighting, talking about the Kwami's... And my Kwami said that he recognized your Kwami. He was a little wary, but he trusts him, so I figured I can trust you. Are you not okay with that?"

I quickly shook my head. "No, no! I'm okay with that! Thank you, Kitkat... I'm glad you trust me. I'll see you tonight,then."

With that, we went in separate directions, and as I hid in an alleyway near my home, wondered if I would have to tell them my identity. Part of me hoped they wouldn't because I knew they'd be freaked out by me in some way, with my white hair and red eyes, or the fact I can't talk. The transformation disappeared and I caught my little gray and white friend in one hand while clutching my burning and sore throat with the other. The pain always come back worse than before, because I always forget how it feels to have the pain in my throat constantly there.

I walked into my house and waved to mom, hugging her gently in greeting before going to get a small cup of ice water to help soothe the burn. I went to my room and Neeks flew from my jacket pocket and rested on my head. From my candy bowl on my dresser, I grabbed a peppermint to give him and he gladly accepted it, nibbling on the treat as I started on homework, waiting for the time to patrol with a mix of nervousness and excitement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come visit me over at tumblr! http://timetoshine16.tumblr.com


	3. Interrogation

My excitement didn't waver the rest of the day. Not even homework or bullying could drag me down from this idea that tonight I would be patrolling with Ladybug and Chat Noir. I knew that at least from Ladybug, it would be more of an interrogation, but I didn't care. I would be spending time with them, getting to know them more, showing them that I can help.

At a quarter till eight, I transformed and rushed to the Eiffel Tower, bounding up the side of it with ease. I perched myself up at the top and waited for Chat and Ladybug to make their way here, humming softly as I waited. I swung myself in lazy circles around the very tip, holding on with one hand and holding the other out to balance me. I was humming "Singing in the Rain" and wasn't very focused on my surroundings.

"All you need to complete that song is for it to start raining."

I let out an undignified yelp and jumped a few feet into the air, my hair standing on end as I grabbed the tower to keep my balance. I'm fairly certain my tail puffed out and a growl slipped from my throat as I looked at the laughing black cat before me, my cheeks slowly getting hotter as the superhero laughed. "Oh my god, Wolven! I didn't think I'd _scare_ you!"

"Chat Noir... I'm only giving you one warning. Do that again and I _will_ knock you unconscious." I growled, swatting at him as an almost playful gesture as he finished laughing, a large grin still on his face and his green eyes shining bright.

"Sorry, sorry. I couldn't help it. It's really nice to see you so relaxed and unfocused, actually." He took the position I had previously been in, his own tail swaying lightly in the breeze. I was thankful most of my skin was covered by clothing, since this was not the best time of year to be exposing skin. I was also very glad I had very real ears and tail, and something that wasn't skin tight, because while it made Ladybug and Chat Noir look sexy, I would have been much too self conscious to do anything helpful, and this was much more my style.

I tilted my head to the side slightly. "What do you mean? There's no way you really know what I'm like when you've only seen me during fights that probably take ten minutes each."

He shrugged and grabbed his tail, twirling it as he looked around for a certain spotted hero. "Well, you always seem tense and a little too focused during battles. You were so focused today that I had to physically pull you away from the fight, and your miraculous almost broke." As if to make a point he swung his body closer to me and with his free hand grabbed my necklace, examining the new chain I had put on earlier. I leaned back and tried to ignore the heat rising in my face from how close we were. I had no reason to be blushing.

He studied my miraculous with so much intensity, my heart started racing and I was sure something on me would burst into flames, be it my heart, shirt, face, or my miraculous. "Can you explain to me how this works, Wolven?"

I blinked and looked at him in the eye as he lifted his face up to look at mine. "What are you asking about?"

"Your miraculous. Why does it have two pendants with a different design each?"

I studied my miraculous from his hand, looking at the larger pendant with five black stripes running through the wolf image diagonally, then at the smaller dark blue pendant with a three small silver moons on it. "Oh... That's because of my power... I'll tell you about it when Ladybug gets here since it'll be easier to explain." He nodded and his ears perked up a second before the rest of his body did, causing him to move away and look into the distance. "Speak of the bug." He mumbled before grinning and waving. Ladybug soon joined us on the tower and she smiled at Chat.

"Evening, Milady." Chat purred, swinging himself a little closer and trying to look flirtatious. "Good evening, Chat." She giggled kindly, before her gaze turned to me and became a glare.

"Alright, first thing, what were you thinking out there today?! Your miraculous was almost clawed off and taken by Hawkmoth!" She snapped, her face twisting into an angry look. It was something that didn't sit well on her features.

"It was my second time fighting, alright? I got lost in the adrenaline. It won't happen again."

"That's no excuse! You need to pay better attention to your surroundings!" I frowned slightly as she spoke. When did she decide she had to tell me what to do? Just because I was new at this didn't mean she could yell at me.

"Hey, I don't take kindly to being yelled at. You can't tell me your miraculous hasn't almost been caught before!" I snapped, locking my feet in place and crossing my arms in front of my chest carefully so I don't fall off. "Also, I wouldn't mind if we went somewhere we could stand more comfortably, thank you."

She huffed and glared even more at me. "Fine, this way." With that, she threw her yoyo and swung away towards the rooftops. Chat looked at me worriedly. "Um... Are you sure fighting with her is the smart thing to do? Ladybug can get pretty stubborn and scary when angry."

I shrugged lightly again. "Like I said, I don't take lightly to being snapped at. While I can, I'm going to defend myself."

Chat nodded and glanced over to where Ladybug was, tapping her foot impatiently. "Do you have a way to get over there quickly?" I nodded and smiled. "Yeah. I think so... Still working out the kinks of it, honestly." I shifted my weight around slightly and prepared to jump from the tower, waiting for the mechanism in my boots to charge up.

"What kinks?" Chat asked, looking genuinely curious as he held his staff, ready to extend it as he pushed off the side of the monument.

"Well, I can't control it some times, which kind of sucks." With that, I leap off the side of the tower, soaring through the sky before landing on the nearest rooftop. As my feet landed I ran across the rooftop, hearing a cheer and laugh from Chat behind me as we began to run towards Ladybug, who looked rather inpatient since she had been kept waiting. A few times I leapt the large gaps between buildings, I almost missed and had to grab onto the edge of the roof to stop myself from falling, but for the most part I was actually doing pretty good. I haven't been launched into any trees yet, and I haven't fallen more than a few centimeters. As I was about to jump the last gap between me and Ladybug, I felt like something wrong clicked in the boots and when I jumped, I overshot the rooftop, yelping as I tumbled onto the roof a few feet behind Ladybug, tucking myself in a ball to protect myself. The moment I felt myself hit tile I uncurled and started scrambling back up the side of the roof, trying to get a good handhold.

"Wolven!" The other heroes called out, and I felt small, latex covered hands wrap around my wrists and pull me up the rest of the way. I looked up and saw Ladybug pulling me to my feet, making me feel more embarrassed than I already was. My cheeks were flushed and I looked away from them as Chat came over, the worry in his eyes a lot more evident than I was comfortable with seeing. Apparently all I seem to be good at is making people worry.

"What happened? You just shot past me and almost tumbled to your death!" Ladybug asked, shock in her voice as she let go of my wrists. I looked over the edge and shrugged. "Actually, it looks more like I almost tumbled to my broken leg or arm."

"You get what I mean!"

Once again I shrugged, hesitantly glancing up at Chat from behind my bangs after looking at Ladybug. "My boots clicked weird... I can't control them well yet, so they either overshoot me or I fall short. They happened to overshoot me this time. Sorry."

Ladybug sighed before shaking her head and smiling. "No need to be sorry."

"Yeah, not everyone is purrfect at the start. It takes practice." Chat smiled reassuringly, patting my head and ruffling my hair in-between the ears that magically appeared on my head. Unlike Chat Noir's, they were as real as real could get due to magic, and it made me rather happy to feel Chat rub between them like one would a dog. I leaned into his touch, closing my eyes for a moment and opening them again to look at that smile he was giving me. It looked so familiar... Like I had seen it before. I couldn't place where I had seen it before in my head, though.

"Right.... Anyway, shall we continue your interrogation, Ladybug?" I asked, moving away from being underneath his touch. I caught him frowning for a brief moment out of the corner of my eye, but I proceeded to ignore it, focusing on red and black spotted hero in front of me.

"It's not an interrogation!" She sighed, crossing her arms over her chest, before asking her question anyway. "First question, why is your suit so different from ours?"

Truthfully, I had no idea. Neeks hadn't given me much detail about why everything about me was so different from these two, like why my voice cords were fixed and I had real ears and tail, or two pendants with powers that are more complicated than theirs. "Sorry, but, I don't know. My Kwami, Neeks, chose it based off of my personality or something like that, I think... He wasn't super specific... See, his past is kind of... Personal, and I don't really want to ask too many questions because I don't want him to have to relive those moments." I rubbed the back of my head before sitting on the roof, looking up at the two of them.

Ladybug frowned, but said nothing. Chat looked curious.

"Next question?"

"Why do you have two pendants?" I grinned at this question, knowing that Chat was also curious about this.

"Oh, see, one's for my power, and the other is for my transformation."

"Why does your power need a separate pendant?"

I hummed softly and smiled brightly at the thought of my powers. "This smaller pendant is what controls my powers. I'm able to mimic any land animal I want. I have three mimics that last as long as I need them too, or until my transformation wears off."

Chat's eyes lit up with excitement. "Cool! Can we see it, Wolven?" He asked, much like a child. I laughed and shrugged slightly. "You've already seen it in action, silly!"

Both of them looked confused, and I laughed at their density. "You guys, remember when you first met me? How I ran past you and leapt off the roof, proceeded to growl and bite the Akuma? I was mimicking a  cheetah." I paused and thought back on my actions. "Well, maybe to an extent." I shrugged slightly and made little claw motions with my hands because I had no idea what to do now.

While Chat's excitement seemed to grow, Ladybug's face gave away the fact she was not amused. " _Why_ are you so different?!"

Once again, I just shrugged. "I. Don't. Know. I really wish you would stop asking me these questions that I just can't answer!" I stood up, fought to keep my arms at my sides, and sighed softly. "Are we done here? Because we should actually do something and patrol. I have school tomorrow and I can't afford to sleep in."

Actually, I could afford to sleep in. I lived close enough that if I really wanted to, I could do what I had done earlier today all the time. But there is so much attention that comes with it, and I refuse to be the center of attention then. And this superheroine, did _not_ need to know this information.

Ladybug was displeased with my attitude change, I could tell. "Alright, fine. You'll come with me and Chat'll-"

"No, I want to go with Chat." I interrupted, crossing my arms over my chest. I stared at Ladybug's shocked expression for a few moments before realizing just how quiet it was. I glanced over at Chat Noir and saw his extremely shocked face, and I felt a very large amount of panic starting to rise. "I-If you want to, I mean! It's fine if you don't-I know I'm stepping over b-"

"No, no! It's okay, Wolven, don't worry! You can come with me, I don't mind."

Ladybug stomped her foot on the ground when Chat said that, snapping out of her shock. "I mind! You trust him too much, Chat!"

"Milady, as much as I'm aware of your..." He trailed off, attempting to find a word that would fit what she was doing, "Blatant dislike of Wolven, I must disagree. You are trusting him too little, and you will just get into a fight with him if you are left alone with each other. You need to cool your head and think about this, Ladybug." Chat said, his eyes darting from her to me and back again. He got out his staff and walked closer to me.

"Let's go, we'll be patrolling on the opposite side of the city."

"Okay. Lead the way, kitkat." I said softly, smiling at the black cat hero and watching as he bounded off in the direction I needed to follow, his staff being used to propel him above the streets. I was going to follow but just as I was about to jump, a hand clasped my wrist, causing me to sigh.

"Yes, Ladybug?"

"You even lay a finger on my partner, and you're gone, you hear me?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come visit me over at tumblr! http://timetoshine16.tumblr.com


	4. The Start of My Unease

_"You lay a hand on my partner, and you're gone. Got it?"_

The look in her eyes was scary. I didn't even know her and I had only met her yesterday but I just _knew_ that that look was not supposed to be there. She looked at me like she was prepared to kill me if I made one wrong move, her mouth a firm line, her blue eyes looking like an icy fire and her eyebrows were pointed downwards to show her contempt. Her eyes bore into me and I knew that if looks could kill, I would already be dead.

I immediately cowered under her gaze, ears flat against my head. "Y-Yes ma'am." I whimpered, shrinking my form and showing her dominance by placing myself below her eye level. The look didn't leave, and out of habit I flinched and closed my eyes.

When nothing came at me I opened them again and saw Ladybug looking at me as if waiting for an answer, back at eye level with me. I wasn't cowering beneath her, and the previous look was gone, replaced with a look of disapproval and wariness, but also worry. There was no longer a look of murder in her eyes. Had I imagined the whole thing?

I stared at her, waiting for the murder to return in her eyes. Nothing returned, but her worry only seemed to grow.

"Are... Are you okay?"

I slowly nodded, and she didn't look convinced. Neeks was nagging me, telling me to hurry and catch up to Chat. My brain had me frozen on the spot, trying to process that my mind had replaced Ladybug's gaze with one I had hoped was long forgotten.

After another moment that seemed to drag on like years, I quickly turned and jumped away. I looked for a gleam of silver, or the familiar shine that seemed to come with Chat's bodysuit as I tried to find him. I looked around the dark city, and my nerves were on high. My throat burned with phantom pain, choking any words I could created as the sound attempted to form. Memories tried to bubble their way to the surface, tried to force their way into my brain. I couldn't deny I was shaking a little. I had to get away from myself, I needed that black cat to talk to me and smile and laugh and remind me that now I'm _safe_ without even realizing what he was doing.

Was I having a panic attack? Not yet.  
Am I about to start having one? I wouldn't doubt it.

I leapt across another roof, eyes darting around frantically, looking for a sign of the superhero. Then I saw a glimpse of black on a few rooftops over, and heard my name. "Wolven!"

"Chat Noir...." I visibly sagged, part of my panic gone now that I had found the person I needed. I was still on high alert, but I wasn't as bad as I had felt before. His eyes filled with worry as he came closer, I could see the words forming on his lips before he even said them.

"I'm okay, everything's fine.... I just got a little spooked.... Hallucinated a little, if you will." I laughed weakly and pressed the heel of my hands into my eyes, taking a deep breath.

"That doesn't sound okay to me... Are you sure you want to do patrol?"

I nodded quickly, smiling at him as I lowered my hands. "Yes... Please, Chat... I'm okay, just take me on your usual route. I think I'll head home after that." My voice sounded tired, I couldn't deny that I was tired. Everything suddenly felt jumbled in my head and I briefly wondered if the medication I had been on hadn't worked as well as we had thought. But then I wondered if I even needed it as Wolven.

Chat didn't look convinced that I was okay, but he shrugged it off and nodded. "Alright. But let me know if you want to stop and head home for the day. I can always finish by myself."

"Right. Got it." I tried to reassure him with a smile, but I think it came out as more of a grimace. After giving me another worried look, Chat took my wrist and looked around. "Alright. Follow me." He extended his staff and I jumped as he lifted off into the air, which was definitely more difficult than it looked. As we landed on the next roof top he continued to pull me along, and I followed him with slight difficulty. "Chat, as much as I enjoy being with you, I don't think it's very smart to hold onto me while running. It's kind of difficult."

He stopped and let go, looking a little surprised at his own action. "Oh, sorry... I didn't realize I was still holding onto your wrist." He laughed and rubbed the back of his head, smiling apologetically. It made me smile, and eventually I laughed, too. "It's okay, silly kitty. Now come on, let's finish patrol before it gets any later, yeah? We don't want anyone getting suspicious if we show up in front of people looking like we came back from the dead." I looked around and noticed that we were by my school, and I stared at it, still not quite understanding the structure of the building. The gym was right in the center of the school, and the school was a square with an open roof over the gym. The doors went from the floor to what felt like the ceiling, and practically took up half a wall in some places. No matter how hard I would try, I don't think I'd ever understand it. Maybe it was normal in this part of the world.

We patrolled the area around school a little longer before my necklace started to beep. "Oh, looks like I have to go. I'll see you and Ladybug tomorrow, okay Kitkat?" I stopped following Chat and he stopped as well, turning to face me. He still looked worried, and it made me feel bad. "You know, Wolven... If it's too much for you to come on patrol at any time, you don't have to force yourself to come. Ever since Ladybug spoke to you, you've been white as a ghost." He walked over and placed a hand on my head, between my ears. I let out a quiet surprised sound, my ears going down slightly to accommodate his hand. "I don't like seeing you like this. Your mental health is important, Wolfy."

I stared up at him for a few moments, pretty sure my cheeks had a small dusting of pink on them, before nodding. "Okay. I'll keep that in mind. Night, Chat Noir."

He dropped his hand and smiled. "Goodnight, Wolven. I'll see you later." As he said that, he went away, going to the next roof and the one after it. I waited until he was out of sight before going to my home, climbing in through the window and detransforming. Neeks flew out from my necklace and I caught him, setting him on the small pillow next to mine and getting him a piece of candy from my pocket. He took it gratefully and began nibbling on it as I got ready for bed. I changed out of my dirty clothes and put them in my hamper, pulling on pajama pants and running a hand through my hair as I sat on the edge of my bed. I reached over my nightstand and grabbed the small orange bottle of pills, bringing it close as I laid down, studying the instructions to see if I had taken the right dosage.

"Are you okay, Jasper?" I felt Neeks' fur brush against my neck and I reached up to scratch his head, shrugging slightly.

"Did you hallucinate again? Have you heard voices?"

I made the "sort of" gesture with my hand, and he flew up closer to the bottle of pills. He hummed, a paw in his chin as he read over the instructions.

"I think you took less than you were supposed to this morning when you were rushing. You need two pills in order to last the day since it's not that bad usually, right?" I nodded and set my pills back on my nightstand and turn off the light as I got under my covers. I rolled onto my side and placed my hand near Neeks' pillow, my fingers touching the edge of the pillow. "Goodnight, Jasper. I'll see you in the morning." Neeks nuzzled my cheek and I smiled, feeling Neeks curl up on his pillow, his tail brushing against my fingers to let me know he was there.

I fell asleep that night with thoughts prodding the back of my mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come visit me over at tumblr! http://timetoshine16.tumblr.com


	5. Making Friends: Part One

The next morning I got up on time and took a shower after brushing my teeth, thinking back to last night's hallucination. Her face looked so much like _his_ had, that it was burned into my brain and refused to leave. Ladybug wasn't him though. He was in another country, six feet underground and quite possibly rotting in the deepest pits of hell or maybe even rotting away in Tartarus from the Greek myths. Either way, he couldn't touch me here. He couldn't touch me again.

I sighed and grabbed the pill bottle from the sink as I stepped out of the shower, not looking in the mirror. If I did before taking my pills, I would see him instead of my reflection. I take my pills and gulp them down with water, keeping my eyes away from the mirror as I brushed my hair with Neeks' help.

"Jasper, I want you to be careful, okay? Hawkmoth can't target you because I'm here, but I don't want you to be depressed or so lost in thought over why you hallucinated him anyway. I don't like seeing my special pup sad." He bumped his head against my cheek and I smiled, cradling him close before letting go and walking out of the bathroom. I pulled on some clothes, my necklace, and some black converse, before grabbing my bag and walking out of my room.

"Good morning, sweetie. Do you want some breakfast?" My mom asked as I walked out of my room, her head poking around the corner of the hallway. I nodded and walked closer, frowning when I saw her frown. "Jasper, your hair is still really uneven.  Come here and let me brush it for you." I nodded once again and went to her, closing my eyes as she grabbed the comb she kept in her pocket and started to brush my hair out as evenly as she could.

"Are you having fun at school?" She asked, running her hand through my hair as she looked for any knots. Her touch was warm and comforting. She was safe. I shrugged, a scratchy noise leaving my throat as I tried to express my happiness and thankfulness as she continued to fix my hair. I could make some sounds. I really could. But most days I figured that if I can't talk, I may as well stay eternally silent. It hurt to make sounds, anyway.

"Have you made any friends?" She stopped fixing my hair, giving it a gentle ruffle to make it a little unruly but not as crazy as it had been before she fixed the terrible job Neeks and I had done. I thought long and hard about her question, following her into the kitchen where she began to make me something to eat. Once again, I shrugged.

Did I make friends?  
_Is Nathanael my friend?  
What about those four kids?_

I grabbed my notebook, beginning to write a more solid response for mom.

"The boy who sits next to me is really nice. He gives me space when I need it and doesn't push for questions. He's a really good draw-er, mom. I bet you would get along with him."

I tapped the pencil in my hand on the counter to get her attention, letting her read it. She laughed ever so slightly and smiled in that way only mothers can. "Draw-er isn't a word, baby. They are either artists, illustraitors, or painters."

"But the word "artist" applies to many creative things, so why can't draw-er be one? Because that's what they do; they draw." I wrote.

"I think it'd probably be because it's a little awkward to say and its spelled exactly like drawer. I don't think people would understand as much as you hope they would."

I pouted a little at her words before shrugging, "Whatever. Either way he's crazy good at drawing and even has his own little story drawn out with him as a superhero! It's really cool!"

Mom set the plate of pancakes down in front of my and I began to eat as mom read what I wrote, and she nodded. "Bring him over some time. Maybe I could give him some pointers!" She smiled brightly and ruffled my hair again, before walking towards her room. "You have fifteen minutes to finish eating, unless you want to be late!" She called with the goodbye wave she always gives me before getting another hour or two of sleep and then jumping right into her work.

Neeks came out from his hiding place once the door to mom's room closes, and I cut away a small piece of chocolate chip pancake to give to the Kwami. "Thanks, Jasper!" He laughed happily as he eats the piece in a few bites, happy whines much like a dog's escaping him as his mouth fills with the melted chocolate. His tail was wagging like crazy, causing me to let out a silent, breathy laugh. I swear I saw him blush when he realized how he was behaving.

"Hey, don't laugh! Your mom makes the most amazing pancakes!"

I smiled and shook my head lightly, lightly tapping the Kwami on his nose as I went to work cleaning my dishes. _Silly Kwami._

After cleaning the dishes I packed a good handful of candies for Neeks and grabbed my bag, Neeks hiding himself away in my jacket pocket once again, and together we headed for school.

As I reached the steps of the school I hear the sound of a car pull up and stop. Curious to see who was just arriving, I turned and watched as the blond boy in that group of four get out of the limo. What was his name? Oh, yes, Adrien!

Adrien sighed as he got out, quickly closing the door and walking towards the boy he sits next to in class. Nino, right? Oh, it's going to take me forever to remember all their names...

"Oh, hey, Jasper." I jumped slightly at the sound of Chat's voice, looking around to find the source.

"Sorry, did I startle you?" The voice spoke again, making me wonder just _where_ that dang cat was before realizing that, wait a minute, _Chat doesn't know me._ Instead, it's Adrien and Nino, Adrien looking a little sheepish. Oh, he was the one talking to me.

I shook my head quickly, scrambling to get out a pencil to write in my notebook.

"No, no! It's okay, I just.... Thought I heard someone else's voice. I got confused."

"Really? I'm sorry I wasn't that person then." Adrien smiled and I gave him a reassuring smile in return. _Why did I think he was Chat? Why are their voices similar?_ I couldn't understand my own thoughts. Maybe I'm tired.

"It's okay." I showed them after I flipped to the page with the words on it. I flipped back to a blank page as we started walking to the classroom, and Nino started talking. "So, Jasper, do you play any video games?"

I nodded and began writing, "Yes, I play some video games... Why do you ask?"

"Well, Adrien and I were planning to hang out and play some video games tomorrow at six if he's free, and I figured maybe you'd like to come too? We'd like to be your friends, and what better way to do that than hang out together?" Nino sighed and crossed his arms behind his head, resting his head in his hands.

I stared in shock, blinking a few times as I tried to process what he asked. I slowly began writing, "You... Want to hang out with me....?"

This time it was Adrien who spoke. "Yeah! You're really interesting, and you seem like a nice person to be around."

"But aren't you freaked out by me?"

"Why should we be? Dude, you look cool! Your hair and eyes are so rad!"

"I can't talk." As I showed this to them, I tapped the paper as if to make a point that talking would be rather important to the situation.

"That's no bother to us! Right, Adrien?" Nino grinned and looked at Adrien, who smiled and nodded quickly. "Yeah, it's okay that you can't talk. You have your notebook, and we can even come up with a way for you to talk to us without it if you want. We won't leave you out of the conversations or anything, promise!" Adrien made the cross cross motion of his heart, which made me smile and giggle ever so slightly.

I began to write once again, "I get it. You really want to be my friends. Thank you, I think I'll join you if you want me to. But you have to let me know whose house it is and where that person lives, because I don't know where you guys live."

"It's most likely going to be at my house unless Adrien's dad suddenly decides that he likes me." Nino said, a slight tone of annoyance in his voice as he spoke about Adrien's dad. I looked at Adrien to see a sad look in his eyes, before looking down at my notepad and starting to write again.

"Do you... Have problems with your dad?" I showed them hesitantly, hiding my face behind the notebook except for my eyes.  After a few minutes I lowered the notebook without meting their eyes, quickly writing, "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to!"

Adrien laughed nervously and moved the notebook away. "Hey, it's okay. Yeah, my father... He can be a bit controlling."

"'A bit'? Adrien, he didn't even want you going to a public school to make friends! You _snuck out_ to come here at least once!"

Adrien looked a bit surprised by what Nino said, and he laughed nervously. "Oh yeah, I guess you are right about that... But he's really not that bad."

I watched them talk quietly, my hand going up to my throat as I thought about what Adrien said. That motion seemed to catch Adrien's eye and he turned to me. "Hey, are you okay? You aren't in pain, are you?" He asked, worried, and he placed a hand on my shoulder. I nodded at his first question, then shook my head at the next one. I once again flipped to the page that said, "I'm okay," and showed it to him. I tapped a small spot in the corner, showing the message "No pain."

Adrien smiled and sighed in relief. "That's good. Shall we go to class then?" At this, Nino and I nod, and together the three of us head to homeroom.


	6. The Dancer (Part One)

School was uneventful, nothing special to talk about. Actually, I need to fix that statement. Something special did happen.

Apparently, for the first time in months, no akumas had attacked during school hours, and we all managed to make it through the school day. Which meant that my third day at this school was a calm and peaceful one aside from Chloe's constant whining that I'm lying about my voice not working or some other stupid thing.

I grew a little closer to Adrien and Nino, too. They are super nice, and fun to be around. They kept me a part of the conversation but never forced me to communicate with them, which seems a little difficult, but... I don't know, it worked pretty flawlessly for the three of us. The best part is, is that we have plans to go to Nino's house on Friday for videogames. It's been a long time since I went over to someone else's house.

Now, however, I've been fighting a slowly losing battle with the enemy called "homework". Who would have thought that France's history could be so _boring_. At least, this text book was certainly making it boring. Neeks was trying to help me stay awake by tickling under my nose with his tail each time I became drowsy. With how many times I've sneezed so far in the past two hours, I'm amazed mom hasn't come out of her studio to check on me.

I cough quietly after what feels like my fifteenth sneeze the past half hour, and stand up, shaking my head. Neeks floats back up to be in front of my face. "Did I do it too much?" He asked worriedly, his eyes apologetic. I shake my head and close my textbook, walking to the kitchen and getting a bottle of water. The news was playing on TV and I decided to watch it to see if anything interesting was happening. What I got, was a report of an Akuma attack happening at the stadium. A girl calling herself, "Streaker".

I looked at Neeks and he nodded, flying into my necklace with ease. I let the transformation finish and quickly left through the window of my bedroom, leaving a note telling my mom I went on a walk on her door. Once I was out and a safe distance from my house, I was cheering, excitement and adrenaline coursing through my veins as I headed towards the Akuma.

"Hey, Wolven!" I turned my head to the right and saw Ladybug swinging next to me.

"Hey there, Bugbug! You heard about this Akuma too, huh?" I grinned and jumped over the large gap between buildings.

"We should get started on a plan, don't you think?"

"What about Kitkat?" I ask, stumbling onto the next roof as I had misjudged the distance.

"He should already be there! Make sure not to get hit by Streaker's streamers, okay? Chat might already be tied up!" Ladybug swung her yoyo and latched onto the stadium, swinging herself over the ledge. I tensed and got ready to jump, trying to estimate how much power I'd need. Once I think I get the right amount I jump and whoop as I got over the edge, laughing and twirling through the air before landing in front of Streaker. I whistled as I got a good look at her, thinking that it was a rather nice and interesting outfit.

She was wearing a neon blue crop top with one of the straps off her shoulder, with a neon green vest and a green choker around her neck, another black band with a dark blue design around her upper arm. She had on dark blue cargo pants, and neon green/blue sneakers. All along her arms were these blue and green ribbons, wrapping around her forearms in a crisscross fashion until her wrists, where they bunched together to look like bracelets. Her skin was pale white, and around her eyes was what looked like a butterfly shaped face paint. Her hair was long, wavy, and blue with green streaks in it. She would have looked like a really cool, normal, dancer had her ribbons not been acting like they were alive and extended arms of herself, trapping people in the ribbon and keeping them in their seats.

"You'll watch me dance! You'll see I'm much better than Axel!" She screeched as she trapped another person, her attention diverted from me even though I landed so close to her. I quickly moved away as one of the ribbons shot towards me, and I spun as I moved away. I watched the girls movements as I met up with Chat and Ladybug who were standing a few feet away. She looked like she was dancing, but what type it was, I'm not sure.

I heard muffled screaming and looked around. "You... Hear that screaming, too, right?"

"What screaming?" Ladybug asked, looking around confused.

"I hear it too!" Chat hummed and looked around as well, his leather ears twitching as he listened.

Another scream started and I ran towards where it seemed like it came from, which was a stage in the center of the stadium. I found a man with bright red hair an a tattoo under his eye wrapped from under his nose down to the bottom of his feet in ribbon. Music was still playing on the speakers, and this person's face was on a few of the banners around the stage. Something told me this was Axel.

I used my claws to cut away the ribbon around his mouth and picked him up, carrying him over to Chat and Ladybug. "I found Axel!" At this, Streaker turned to face us, her eyes angry and the purple butterfly outline forming.

"Get away from Axel and give me your miraculouses!" She screamed, throwing out her arm and letting the ribbons fly towards us. I picked up Axel and jumped out of the way, jumping up to the first sets of seat and dropping him rather unceremoniously on someone's lap. "Stay."

I jumped down and went join Chat and Ladybug in the fight, dodging the ribbons that started coming toward me. Chat was batting them away with his baton, throwing out puns to the girl and annoying her even more. Ladybug was dodging them in much the same fashion I was, although she looked a little less graceful.

"Her Akuma is in her armband!" I yelled to Ladybug, jumping over the next bunch of ribbons. Getting slightly annoyed by the constant jumping, I smiled and decided to activate my power.

"Arcessere*:Cheetah!" I watched one of the silver moons disappear on my necklace, and I fell onto all fours once I landed on the ground. I growled and suddenly the stadium was turning into a blur as I began running around the three fighting, trying to confuse and hopefully dizzy the Akuma. I could feel ribbons trying to wrap around my feet, but I didn't stop.

I heard a gasp and a soft shout of "That's it!" from Ladybug. "Wolven, keep running like that! Stop once her ribbons are all tied up!"

"Got it!" I kept going, feeling the ribbons slowly getting further away from my ankles. Good thing, too, because I was starting to get dizzy. I stopped once I felt they were no longer chasing me and I wobbled a little, the world turning while I was trying to stand still. "You know... That was both smart and really really disorienting..." I felt myself starting to fall over when someone straightened me out.

"Well, her plan's all _tangled_ up now." Chat said as he helped me stand upright. "Yeah, but... We aren't done just yet."

I shook my head and I felt better, able to stand straight on my own now. Streaker's ribbons had become knots and lay dead at her feet, and she growled in frustration, stomping her foot on the ground. "No fair! You tangled all my props!" Ladybug was trying to get close enough to tear the arm band, but she kept getting kicked away as the girl danced. Her dance style seemed to be a freestyle kind of dance.i looked at Chat, then the dance stage and then Ladybug. "Hm... Hey, Ladybug! I've got an idea!"

"Well I don't want to hear it!" My tail flicked in irritation at her response and I cleared my throat a little.

"Bugaboo, I told you to listen to other people's ideas!"

"Ugh, fine! What's your idea, Wolven?" She dodged another kick, and I started explaining. "I'll distract her, while you and Chat get her Akuma! I would go into further detail but I don't want to expose the plan!"

"How are you going to distract her?" Chat asked as I went closer to the two girls.

"Simple, dancing!" I grinned at him, exposing my sharp canines, then turned to face Streaker. "Hey, Streaker! I challenge you to a dance battle!" I yelled, pointing at her as I stood up again like a normal human and placed my other hand on my hip. The fight stopped and Streaker turned to me, a new fire in her eyes. I think I overrode her desire to get our miraculouses or something. Chat and Labybug stared at me like I had grown a second head.

" _That's_ your distraction?"

" _Shhhhhhh!!!_ " I quickly waved off her words, my eyes not leaving Streaker for a moment.

The three of us watched as a purple butterfly appeared around her eyes, and she nodded after a few moments before she returned the pointing motion to me, a smirk on her face. "I accept! But if I win, you give me your miraculous!"

Chat gasped and looked at me with worry, shaking his head. "It's not worth it, Wolfy!" He cried out, making me laugh and wink at him. Ladybug also seemed rather unsure about letting me do this. "Just trust me, kitkat. I think you're in for a surprise."

For once, I really did feel confident in this. I used to dance all the time before I lost my voice. I had a dream and I had been aiming for it, but of course that dream was shot long before any true progress could be made thanks to.... certain problems. "I accept your challenge, Streaker."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * Arcessere is Latin for to Summon. I chose this as Jasper's phrase, because he "summons" different attributes from the animals he knows about. I chose Latin because it sounded nice in my head and seemed unique compared to others that I had thought about using.


	7. The Dancer (Part Two)

Streaker and I head to the stage, Ladybug summoning her lucky charm behind me and Chat going to turn the music up a little more from the controls. The people in the stadium had grown quiet, confusion on their faces because d _id a hero or Paris just say they were going to fight by **dancing**?_

As I walked, I whispered into my necklace to "Arcessere: Swan" because I knew I was going to be rusty and I'd need a swan's grace to help me at least a little. The music became louder and a song was just ending as we got on the stage, so I bowed to the Akuma in the silence. "Would you prefer to go first, or shall I?"

Streaker huffs, crossing her arms over her chest. "Challenger goes first! I thought that was obvious!" I just shrug in response, listening as some version of _Counting Stars_ began to play.

 _Lately I've been, I've been losing sleep_  
Dreaming about the things that we could be  
Baby I've been I've been praying hard  
Said no more counting dollars we'll be counting stars  
Yeah we'll be counting stars...

I close my eyes and take a deep breath, listening for a short moment before beginning to dance. I was listening to the girl sing as I danced, and just as the intro came to a stop, I once again bowed, grinning at Streaker. She the began to dance, her body gliding across her half of the stage as she twirled.  My tail twitched in anticipation as I felt the next part for me to dance coming up, the grin on my face never leaving. I could already see Ladybug starting to get into position, but I couldn't see what her lucky charm was.

The moment the girl started to sing again is when I started to dance, giggling quietly to myself as my adrenaline began to spike. Even though I had barely started to dance, I was already having so much fun. I twirled and moved my body to the beat, and the moment the boy started to sing the part before the chorus, I couldn't help but jump, flipping in the air and landing on my feet just before we both danced to the chorus. I could hear loud cheers from around the stadium, and as I glanced at Streaker I could tell she looked mad. Looks like I stole her spotlight with that flip.

As the next verse began I stopped dancing, catching my breath as Streaker danced her part. There were some cheers as she did impressive dance moves, her ribbons flowing around her like water even if they were tangled together. I looked around for Ladybug and Chat, noticing the surprise in their eyes and what almost looked like admiration. I gave them a slightly cheeky grin before tilting my head to Streaker when I began to dance at the next part, trying to tell them that now was probably one of the best times to attack since she was getting angry.

As I danced I felt something wrap around my ankle, causing me to look down and see she had gotta a ribbon untangled. The ribbon yanked my leg out from under me and I fell from surprise to the ground, but after a quick slash from my metal claws, I was up and dancing again as the chorus started up once more. Now more ribbons were coming at me, trying to knock me down as cheers came from those around the stadium. I faintly hear a "You can do it, Wolven!" That sounded vaguely like Chat's voice but I was losing myself as I danced, ignoring everything around me except the stage and Streaker.

I saw Chat coming running as the song started to come to a close, his power activated in his hand as he ran to the stage, using his power to destroy the flooring under Streaker and in turn trapping her right as the sing ended. She struggled, trying to get out of the hole with the ribbons she had untangled, still trying to get to me. I stood there a few feet in front of her, panting and sweaty. I grinned and laughed happily, "I win!"

Streaker snarled in annoyance as one of my stripes beeped, and I knew my five minutes had started just like Chat's had, and Ladybug only had two minutes left. Ladybug came over and cut up the ribbons that had become loose once again, effectively leaving Streaker weaponless. She crouched down and tore off the band around the akumatized dancer's arm, and the three of us watched as the butterfly came out of the destroyed fabric. Ladybug quickly caught the butterfly and let it go, tossing the lucky charm-a pair of scissors- into the air, returning everything to how it was supposed to be. That other dancer, Axel, returned to the stage, and the victim turned back to normal as well. They stared at each other awkwardly before Axel coughed in an attempt to break the ice and held out his hand. ".... Um... How about we dance together?  I'm sure the crowd will like that. You were really good out there."

The girl had no idea what was going on, it was clear in her eyes, but she gladly accepted and stood up with Axel's help. "That sounds great."

Three resounding beeps echoed around the five people here, and all three of us superheroes smiled at each other. "Well, we should go our separate ways now. I'll see you guys at patrol?"

"You bet!" Chat grinned as Ladybug smiled and nodded, a new look of appreciation in her eyes as she looked at me. She swung her yoyo and latched onto the edge of the stadium. "I'll see you both there!" She said before swinging away with a waved. Chat and I watched her go, my ear twitching as I caught a longing sigh coming from Chat.

"We should go too, Chat." I said softly, turning to see a longing and loving look in his eyes, mixed with admiration. I felt something inside me when I saw that look, almost like jealousy. But why should I be jealous? I only met these people a few days ago for crying out loud.

He snapped out of his daze and he looked at me, smiling. "Right." With that, we left the stadium after a final goodbye and went our separate ways.

I entered my room as the final beep sounded, and after a bright flash of light, I was once again permanently silenced and a tired little wolf Kwami landed in my hands.

I set him down on my bed and gave him a piece of candy, watching as he perked right back up. "Jasper, that was great! I didn't know you could dance!"

I blushed and shrugged, grabbing my notebook and writing in it, "I haven't danced since _that_. I wasn't able to walk for a while and when I was, having a rather messed up windpipe and vocal cords that not longer function properly thanks to scarring kind of made dancing a painful thing to do. So, I stopped. I forgot how much fun it was, though. It makes me a little sad that I can't do it more often."

Neeks read it as he nibbled on another candy, nodding here and there. "I see.... I'm sorry." He flew over and nuzzled my cheek, making me let out a weak giggle-like sound. I cupped him in my hands once again and nuzzled him gently, hoping that the mental thought I had could pass to him through my actions.

_It's okay, because I have you. You have given me more than I ever dreamed, and you have given me companionship. You're my best friend, Neeks. Thank you for everything._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The version of Counting Stars I was listening to when I wrote this chapter is by Alex Goot, Kurt Schneider, and Chrissy Costanza.


	8. Making Friends: Part Two

During the period of morning before classes started, Adrien, Nino and I were finalizing our plans to play video games at Adrien's house later tonight.

"Wait, so, tell me again why your father, the man who practically banned me from your house, is letting us come there to play video games?"

"He said he'd lift the ban for tonight at least because he wants to meet Jasper. He has a really strange interest in you, actually." Adrien looks at me with amazement, like I had caused a natural phenomenon. Considering what I have heard from these two about his father, I guess I have. I flip my notebook open to a page and tap the word I was looking for with my pencil.

"Why?" It read, to which Adrien sighs and shrugs.

"He said something about how he's never met a person with white hair and red eyes before, and how he wants to see if any of his designs would look good on someone with your coloring."

"Seriously? But then why is he okay with me being there? Not that I'm complaining." Nino asks, looking confused and a little worried. 

Adrien shrugs once again, "Maybe that run in with Simon Says changed his mind about you?"

"I don't know man, he didn't look all that please with me."

At the mention of this "Simon Says" person, I frown and write in my notebook, holding it up for them to see. "Who's Simon Says?"

Adrien and Nino blink as they read the note, and confusion passes over their faces before realization dawns in their eyes."Oh yeah, you missed quite a few Akuma attacks!" Adrien says in surprise, as if just remembering I was new to Paris in general. Well, at least I seem to fit in well.

"Simon Says was this hypnotist who got akumatized and went after Adrien's old man. Stormed past his houses defenses and everything! He could hypnotize people to do whatever he wanted."

"Geez, that must have been scary." I write down, wondering just how many Akuma attacks I had missed. 

"I guess, but Ladybug and Chat Noir handled the situation well, although Chat Noir seemed kind of out of it." At that, Adrien seems to be just a tiny bit more nervous for a second, quick enough I almost don't catch it. I feel Neeks shift around slightly in my jacket, as if he was sensing something.

"Who knows? Either way, it's done and they saved the day again, isn't that what matters most?"

Nino and I nod at this, finishing the conversation, and together we go off to class since it was about time to start. 

\---------

After the morning classes, it was time for lunch, and I had Nino and Adrien go off without me because I was going to go to my house to eat and check up on Mom. I was leaving the classroom when Chloe and her "goons", as I like to call them, cornered me in the hall.

Her goons, if you are wondering, are pretty much Sabrina and Kim. Why Kim follows her, I'll never know. Or, maybe I'll find out, but either way I won't care.

"Come on, freak, this charade of yours has gone on long enough! Stop pretending that you can't speak!"

I flip to a page in my notebook I made specially for these encounters and show it to her. "Chloe, I really can't speak! Just leave me alone, will you?"

She laughs that annoying laugh of hers and leans in close. "I know you're lying! You just want Adrien's attention! Once I expose you for the liar you are, he'll leave you in the dust!"

My eyes widen momentarily and I barely contain a laugh, "Wait, are you jealous?" I write, making her angry enough to knock my notebook out of my hands. I cringe slightly as I hear it hit the floor, knowing that the pages it landed on were going to be folded and crushed. I really hate when that happens.

"No, I'm not! Who would be jealous of a freak of nature like you!" She screeches in anger, stomping her foot down.

"Leave him alone, Chloe!" My eyes widen once again as I hear Marinette's voice, making me look towards where she and Alya are. 

"No one asked you, Marinette!" 

"That may be so, but I highly doubt Principle Damocles is going to let this bullying act slide. Jasper seems to be a favorite of the teachers here." Alya says with a smirk as she waves her phone around, a video of the confrontation on the screen. 

Immediately Kim steps away and goes off somewhere else, giving me a chance to pick up my notebook and leave my spot against the wall as Chloe screeches in irritation. "You can't touch me! Daddy will hear about this!"

"On the contrary, I don't think daddy dearest will appreciate his daughter bullying someone who can't defend himself." 

I quietly giggle, the sound weak and scratchy. Chloe gasps and points at me, grinning. "See, he does talk! He is lying!"

I frown, shaking my head and flipping back to the page that spoke about my condition. I tap the area where it said I could make some sounds right in front of her face as if emphasizing what I was trying to point out, before moving it back to a more reasonable distance.

"That wasn't even talking, Chloe! That was a laugh!" Marinette exclaims with a sigh.

Chloe flushes red and stomps her foot down, annoyed. "I will catch you lying! You can't fool me, you- you...." She trails off, apparently unable to come up with some insult to call me before turning and storming off to go find another poor soul to attack.

When she's gone I burst into laughter, the sound honestly not that much louder than my giggle from before. After a few seconds, the girls join in, and we are all laughing. Soon however, the scratchy attempt at a laugh becomes a painful burn, causing me to cough instead. 

I feel a hand be placed on my back, gently rubbing it. "Are you okay, Jasper?" Alya asks, eyes worried.

I nod and clear my throat, coughing one last time and rubbing my throat. Well, that was painful. Fun, but painful. I look around and spot a nearby water fountain, so I start walking to it and get a drink, visibly sighing as the cool water runs down my throat.

"What's Chloe's deal? She can't seriously think you're lying about not talking, can she?"

I write in my notebook once I finish drinking, "She thinks I'm seeking attention from Adrien. Which I'm not... I didn't even know who he was until I came to school here!" 

"He does seem to like you, though. Why is that?" I shrug, before writing once again. 

"Who knows? Ask him yourself and you might get a better answer." I show them the notebook, checking my phone for the time as they read it. After a few moments I start to write again, "I have to go, see you in class, and thank you for helping get Chloe off my back." I wave and run off after showing them my notebook and making sure they had a few seconds to read it. 

"No problem, Jasper! Just let us know if you need anymore help, okay?" Marinette yells to make sure I hear. I hold up a thumbs up to let her know I heard since I was already late enough, and hold my notebook close to my chest as I run home.

I enter my apartment and set my bag on the ground next to the door, looking to see if mom was out of her studio yet. Not seeing her in the kitchen or living room, I sigh, shaking my head with a small smile on my face. Once again my mom is in that stage of her work where she forgets to eat once she's got an idea and acts upon it. I roll up my sleeves and take off my scarf, folding it and neatly laying it on the table. Time to make us some food.


	9. Black Cats Are My Favorite

I decided that sandwiches would be the easiest and quickest thing to make for lunch, so I got started and got out everything I'll need. Neeks flew around, watching me work. "Do you need any help, Jasper?" He asked, landing on top of my head. I smiled and shook my head, grabbing the peanut butter and jelly for my mom's sandwich and ham and cheese for mine.

"Okay." He sprawled out, tickling my scalp with his tail as he swished it around. "If you say so."

I made the sandwiches and put them on plates with some chips, then grabbed some water for Mom and me to drink. Neeks hid himself in my hair and I went to my mother's studio, knocking on the door before entering. Mom sat in front of a canvas, pencil tapping against her chin as she stared, contemplating. I stood by the door for a few minutes, debating how I should go about this without startling her.

"What's your favorite cat?"

I jumped, startled that mom actually knew I was there for once. I made a sound of confusion, walking over and setting the plates on a table near us. I looked at the painting, smiling as I saw a drawn out kitten reaching up to swat at a butterfly, a sunny sky in the background and flowering trees framing the picture."What's your favorite cat?" She repeated, glancing at me again.

I thought for a few minutes. All cats were pretty, I liked all of them. But a certain cat couldn't escape my mind, one that made me happy and comfortable.

"Black cats. Black cats are my favorite... And can you make its eyes green?" I wrote, showing it to my mom.

She nodded and marked it on the drawing, smiling and looks at me. "Long hair or short?"

"Can you do short but fluffy?"

She giggled and nodded once again. "You got it, baby boy." She hummed as she sketched out the fluffy fur with her pencil, and when she was done she sighed. "Alright, now we can eat." She set the pencil down and stretched. "Man, that took me so much longer than it was supposed to! I should have started painting an hour ago!"

I handed her her plate and pulled over the extra stool for me to sit on, shrugging lightly in response to her words.

"Well, anyway.... How's school going? Is that video game session still on with those boys Adrien and Nino?"

I nodded, smiling brightly. I grabbed my notebook and started to write once again. "It moved to Adrien's house. His dad apparently wants to meet me because of how I look."

"I see. Now, is that a good thing, or bad?"

"It's good. He's a fashion designer, and since he's never seen an albino, he wanted to see how his designs would look on one." I played with my necklace as she read it, and ate my sandwich quietly.

She glanced at me, then back at the note I wrote, then back to me again. "Alright, well, first thing first, we need to change that chain on your necklace. Make it shorter. Then we need to touch up your hair. You didn't brush it well, _again_. Give you some concealer under the eyes.... Hm... Make sure you are wearing one of your nice shirts.... And make sure you add concealer to your neck. I don't think his designs have scarves, so it'd be better to cover up the scars if you don't want him to see."

I roll my eyes and shake my head, scoffing faintly. "Mom, I'm playing video games with my friends, not auditioning for something."

Mom giggled and reached over, running a hand through my hair. "I know. But it's been so long since I've seen you so excited for something. I knew that it was smart to get you away from there and move here to Paris." She smiled lovingly, her hand moving to cup my cheek. "I just wish you could speak again. Then you could dance and laugh like you used to..." I leaned into her touch and smiled sadly. I hoped my eyes could show her that I wasn't sad anymore, that everything was okay. Someday I'll tell her about being the newest edition to the hero team, but not yet. It's too dangerous.

She pulled her hand back and smiled more happily, giggling again. "Well, you are still my baby boy, so as long as you are happy, I'm happy. Now, let's finish lunch and get back to our separate things before you are late for class. When you get home, I'll have a beautiful _Chat Noir_ for you when you get back."

I blushed darkly at the thought of Chat Noir being around when I got back, even though I know that's not what she was talking about. I nodded and finished my food, taking Mom's plate once she was done as well. I kissed her forehead and left the room, closing the door behind me. I put the dishes in the dishwasher and Neeks flew out from my hair. "Well, you should definitely make the chain shorter. Less chance of it getting yanked off if you do."

I nodded once again, before hearing some sort of explosion come from outside. I looked at Neeks and nodded, and he flew into my pendant, once again transforming me into Wolven. I left the house and headed in the direction of the explosion, running across the rooftops and jumping along as I needed. I heard an evil laugh and stopped on a roof where I could watch the Akuma, humming as I did. This one... Was interesting.

He was a man whose skin was the color of coal, and he was dressed in some weird black ball, a fuse on the top of his head and a pair of pliers in his hands. Multiple wires were attached to his suit and his head, and what he did was pull in his head, arms, and legs into the suit, and he would become a super fast bowling ball that attempted to blow things up. He was definitely dangerous.

"What happened to him to make him want to be a _bomb_?!"

I yelped and stumbled back, hand clutching my chest as my heart raced. "What is with you two and startling me to the point of a heart attack!?" I strained, staring at the giggling red and black superhero in front of me with utter betrayal. One of these days, I'll get them back. That day, sadly, is not going to be today.

"I'm sorry, Wolven. I really thought you knew I was there. But your reaction was pretty funny." She giggled before looking back down as another thud resounded through the air. "... How are we going to stop him?"

I studied the scene a little longer before getting an idea. "Well, I have an idea of how to stop him from destroying that building!" Before she could ask I jumped down, landing in the path of the bomb. "Arcessere: Dung Beetle!" When the person came close I grabbed him, gripping the suit tightly and soon throwing him, watching it "explode" in the air.

" _Dung beetle_?" Chat landed next to me, snickering. I lightly punched him, being careful while I still had my "super strength".

"Hey, I've done research. Dung Beetles can lift over 1,000 times their weight! They are considered the strongest animal in the world!"

He shrugged, a pun twinkling in his eyes. I put a finger to his lips, "Ah, sorry Kitkat, but, please no puns about dung beetles. Please."

"Aw~" He pouted, slouching for a moment before straightening himself again. "Alright, fine."

"Thank you, kitty." I smiled gratefully before looking over to the bomb guy. "We should focus on him for now." Chat Noir nodded, and Ladybug joined us on the ground.

"Where is the Akuma?"

"In the pliers in his hand, I'm pretty sure. Why else would the bomb have the very thing used to disable one?" I smiled, waiting for them to either refuse or agree with that idea. Ladybug smiled bright and nodded, "Great! Wolven, you keep him from destroying anything else, Chat Noir, you distract him while I get the trap set up."

Chat and I nodded and split up, Chat starting to attract the akuma's attention. I went around behind him, making sure that if the bomb guy started spinning, I was there to stop him.

We went back and forth for a while, the male rolling towards us, attempting to knock us down, and then I proceed to throw him. I was growing tired, and soon enough my necklace started beeping. This guy was persistent, and it took way more strength than anticipated to stop his movements, that amount steadily growing the more tired I got.

"Ladybug, hurry up with that plan, I'm getting tired!"

"Okay, throw him over here!" I attempted to do as asked, but my arms were so tired it didn't work so well and I couldn't really stop, him, sliding back against the ground. "Chat! Help, please!" I grunted, gripping the suit tighter. "Got it!" I heard him yell cataclysm, and the next thing I know the bomb is much less round and more human, so I grab the male and throw him into the trap, which was a web made out of that sticky silly string in a can.

I sighed and leaned against the wall, rubbing my arms as I watched ladybug smash and purify the Akuma. "Oh~ man, my arms are killing me." Chat laughed and placed a hand on my shoulder. "I'm sure you'll be fine. In a day or two, of course."

I laughed dryly, but had an honest smile on my face. "Yeah, hopefully. Anyway, I need to go, I'm about a minute away from turning back. I'll see you guys later." I waved and quickly left, detransforming behind my house when no one was looking. I went inside and quickly grabbed my bag, leaving and heading back to school. Man, I was so late.

\------

All day, my excitement was growing as the time ticked closer and closer to the time I went over to Adrien's, but now my heart was thudding painfully in my chest as I thought about meeting his father and getting banned from his house. I was also debating if I should let my mom come with me because, y'know, she can talk and there is a large gate with a speaker and I think a security camera. Anxiety as well as not being able to speak means that's not a comfortable position for me.

Of course, Mom was still painting away in her studio and I couldn't very well interrupt her while she was focused. This was one of her first happy paintings since my... "accident". Our previous home was a bad place for both of us after I got out of the hospital, so it's nice to see how much Paris, Akuma, and all, has been affecting her. Neeks has been helping me as well as mom and everyone else, so I've been getting better since I got Neeks, but it was really difficult in the beginning.

"It'll be okay, Jasper. Just bring your notebook and write down who you are, show it to the camera. They'll let you in, I'm sure of it." Neeks comforted as I fed him some candy. I smiled and nodded, but I felt like my shaking hands probably gave away my anxiety. He flew up and licked my cheek, making me giggle. "Alright, let's go." Neeks flew into my jacket and I put on my scarf, at least for the journey there, and I left my house.

When I reached Adrien's house I was greatly relieved to see Adrien and Nino waiting for me in front of the gates, visibly relaxing and allowing a smile to form with ease. I waved a hello and they each threw an arm over my shoulders. "There's the last of our trio!"

"I'm glad you came." Adrien laughed, letting go of my shoulders a moment after Nino. "Dad said we can play some games before he takes you from us for a bit. Is that alright?"

I nodded, smiling. This might not be as scary as I thought.


	10. Modeling Gone Wrong

I followed Adrien into his home, staring in awe at the white and black marble floor, and just... White and black everything. Except, it seems, for the walls. The wall were such a light blue they almost looked white. Either way, the mansion was too clean and orderly for it to feel homey. It had a cold feel to it, making it feel even more like it wasn't really lived in. Which made sense, if only Adrien and his father lived here. A mansion for just two people? That's too much space, no matter how you look at it.

At the top of the stairs stood a man in a candy cane colored suit; red pants, gray vest with red buttons, white jacket, red and white cravat*, and white undershirt. He had pale blonde hair, possibly graying, and round, black-rimmed glasses, and his arms were folded behind his back. Behind him, was a portrait of him and Adrien in all black, taking up a really large portion of the wall.

_That's a depressing picture..._ I thought, looking up at it and studying it. It seemed like it was taken at a funeral or something, and Adrien really didn't look happy in it, which made me sad as well.

"Father, you remember Nino." Adrien motioned to Nino, who gave a small wave, his father giving a curt nod in response.

"Ah, yes, the young man who came to get you a birthday party last year." He said, tone dry and unfeeling, if not a little hostile as he came down the stairs to stand in front of us. I stepped a little closer to Adrien on impulse.

"Right... And this is Jasper, the boy I was telling you about." Adrien motioned to me and I flipped my notebook to the page with my greetings on it, pointing to the one in he middle.

"Hello."

I looked around my notebook to see Adrien's father raise an eyebrow, curiosity in his face. "Do you not speak?" I quickly nodded and flipped to the page talking about my condition again, showing it to him. "I... See. Well, I must get back to work now, so I'll come and get you when I need you to model, alright boys?"

The three of us nodded, Adrien and Nino giving vocal responses as well, and as Mr. Agreste went up one flight of stairs, we went up the other. My jaw dropped when we reached Adrien's room, and I wished I could speak and express my amazement that way.

"Dude, your room is still freaking amazing every time I come in here."

Adrien laughed slightly and shrugged. "Yeah, well, I guess father thought he could get me everything I could ever want in this room instead of just letting me hang out with people my age." Adrien said with a small sigh before smiling. "Anyway, what would you guys like to play?"

I shrugged, and Nino thought about it, watching as Adrien got out some of the games he owned that weren't the arcade games in the corner of his room.

"How about Ultimate Mega Strike 3?" Nino suggested, grabbing the game and waving it around. I nodded in agreement, smiling and sitting on Adrien's bed.

"Alright. Jasper, do you want to play winner?"

"Wait a sec, dude, _you_ should play winner. You were second place in the rankings for the school champion!"

Adrien flushed slightly in embarrassment and I silently giggled, shaking my head. I flipped my notebook to an open page and began writing. "I agree. You should play winner, because I'm pretty sure you'd be the winner no matter which of us you went against. No offense Nino."

"None taken. I got fifth place, after all." Nino smiled proudly at that, making me silently giggle again as he and Adrien laughed.

"Then I'll get this set up." Adrien went over to his computers- seriously? Four computers?- and he started to set up the game.

I wrote in my notebook, showing Nino what I wrote, "Mr. Agreste looks a little like a candy cane."

Nino laughed, grinning. "You're right, he does!"

"What are you guys talking about?" Adrien asked as he came back over. I showed him what I wrote and after a moment of shock, even Adrien laughed, making me grin. "How come I never noticed that?"

"Well, he is your father, and a fashion designer. It just never crossed your mind."

"That's true. We probably shouldn't tell him that, though." Nino smiled and we went over to the computers, each of us taking a controller as Adrien sat in a chair next to us. "Two out of three, Jasper?"

After a moment of thing, I shook my head, holding up four fingers then five. I then mouthed "practice" and held up two fingers. It's been a while since I played this game, after all, so practice was necessary, and I wanted to make sure that there was more than one round to decide the winner.

"Four out of five, two of them practice?"

I nodded, and Nino smiled. "Sounds good to me. Let's start!"

\------

After a few hours and a few different games, Adrien's father came into the room after knocking on the door. "Jasper, are you free to model now?" He asked in that same monotone voice he spoke to me with earlier. I looked at the others, and they nodded, so I did too.

"Father, is it alright if we watch?" Adrien asked, as I stood up and walked over to his father. I looked up at him, hoping he'd say yes. I don't think I'd handle this well without them there to help me relax. After a few moments, his father nodded, and I visibly sighed before smiling brightly at Nino and Adrien.

They stood up as well and together we followed Mr. Agreste to his studio, certain outfits lined up and a small changing area set up for me to change in privately. "I can help you change if you'd like. Some of the clothes might be difficult to get into." Adrien suggested, smiling shyly and rubbing the back of his head.

I blushed darkly and shook my head smiling. "That's alright, I can manage. Thank you for the offer, though." I wrote, showing him my notebook before taking the first outfit offered to me and going to put it on. Neeks flew from his hiding place, smirking at me as I took deep breaths to stop my blush. I got way too flustered over that. I mean, come on, we're both guys, no harm, no foul.

As I started taking off my clothes, though, I remember that my body is really not one I'm comfortable showing. Just a little too thin for my liking, way too pale, and faint scars from my past from my chest up. I sighed silently and pulled on the outfit, glad that this one, surprisingly, had a scarf. I walked out a few moments later as Neeks hid himself again and smiled at the three, unsure of what to do.

Adrien and Nino smiled, "You look great, Jasper!"

Mr. Agreste hummed and walked over, checking some things and turning me here and there. "I see.... So this color looks good with pale skin... But this one doesn't... Yet it goes well with red eyes." He studied the outfit more, making a few more notes on how it looked before sending me off with another outfit to try.

After changing into the next outfit, a simple black long sleeve top with a red logo on it, gray cargo pants and a studded belt mixed of silver and red, I stepped out from the changing room. The top was a little baggy on me, and the sleeves nearly reached my fingertips, but everything else seemed to fit really well. Almost scary well. I was glad I took mom's advice and covered the scars with concealer, though, because having my neck exposed made me uncomfortable.

Nino let out a whistle, grinning. "Wow, that looks great on you!"

Mr. Agreste nodded, studying me as I turned around for him.

I looked at Adrien, smiling shyly as I waited for his response. He was staring at me, mouth slightly open as he had been in the middle of talking to Nino when I came out. Adrien's father looked at him, eyebrow raised in confusion, and Nino snickered, nudging Adrien in the side with his elbow. "Dude, say something."

Adrien blinked and stuttered slightly, trying to come up with something. "Uh, yeah, you look, uh, great." He smiled nervously, which I returned, and after Mr. Agreste checked a few more things and fixed certain parts of the outfit, I was handed the third outfit and told to change again.

This time I changed much faster, the outfit a spring time outfit that had bright colors. It had a scarf as well, and I put on the scarf like I did all the other scarves I wore.

When I got out of the change room, Mr. Agreste hummed and walked over again. "All these colors are wrong... They definitely don't look good, but you are wearing the scarf incorrectly..." His hands came closer to my neck, and memories started flashing. Hands rushed towards me, one empty, one with a bottle. They grew closer, reaching for my neck. Garbled words I don't recall.

I flinched and moved away, eyes wide as I looked up at Mr. Agreste with fear. _His_ face was flashing, replacing Adrien's father. Blond became brown, blue and round became brown and slanted. The background seemed to change as well, replacing the black and white walls with dark moonlit halls.

" _Jasper!"_

I felt hands grab me, and I struggled, panicked and afraid.

_"Calm down, hey, it's alright. It's just Adrien and Nino. Can you hear us?"_

Adrien?  
Nino?  
Slowly, I nodded, starting to feel myself calm down as I tried to focus on their voices. Something was pressing against my side. Neeks? They sounded so far away. Focus, Jasper, focus.

_"Breathe. Just focus on our voices. Can you come back to us now?"_

I blinked once, then twice, my body relaxing as everything returned to normal. In front of me stood a shocked Mr. Agreste, hands awkwardly out in front of him before he slowly lowered them back to his sides. I looked to my left, seeing Adrien with scared, worried eyes, and then to my right, seeing an equally worried Nino. Each one had one of my wrists in their own hands, but now they let go.

"Young man.... Are you alright?" Mr. Agreste said, voice softer in volume and tone yet words still sharp and precise. I slowly nodded, reaching up to adjust the scarf before quickly heading back to the changing room and quickly changing clothes back to my normal outfit. Neeks flew out from his hiding spot, his eyes sad and smile weak. I gave him my own weak smile and cupped him in my hands, nuzzling him. Neeks was here. I was in Paris. _He_ wasn't. Everything was okay.

I folded the clothes Mr. Agreste had given me and walked out of the room with them, handing them back to him before beginning to write in my notebook. "I'm so sorry you had to see that. I really don't like people touching my neck, sometimes it brings up bad memories, and... I thought I was better, really. "

"...You have nothing to be sorry for. I thank you for modeling for me, however I think now it would be best for you to go home." As Mr. Agreste finished speaking, I nodded, and began writing again. "May Adrien come to my house to spend the night, then? As an apology for this?"

It took a long time for him to respond, but soon enough, he nodded. "Just tonight. Don't expect me to let him stay with you again."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Cravat: (Clothing & Fashion) a scarf of silk or fine wool, worn round the neck, especially by men  
> [C17: from French cravate, from Serbo-Croat Hrvat Croat; so called because worn by Croats in the French army during the Thirty Years' War]


	11. Meeting Momma Mitzy

With a shaky smile I nodded my acknowledgement to Mr.Agreste's words, before grabbing Adrien and Nino's hands and quickly leaving the room, pulling them behind me.

"Jasper, are you sure you're alright?" Nino asked, and I shook my head as we went back to Adrien's bedroom so he could get anything he'd need.

When we were there, I let go of their hands and closed the door, only for a pair of hands to grab me and pull me to the bed, forcing me to sit on it. I looked up only to see Adrien was looking at me, his hands on my shoulders. His eyes were sad, and his touch was.... Unexpectedly gentle. Not that gentleness didn't rain off this boy, but still.

"You're still shaking... Is there anything we can do to help?" He asked, slowly take his hands off my shoulders and sitting next to me. Nino sat on the other side, and I looked down at the notebook in my lap, twisting the pencil in my hands. I could see the shaking myself, even though I couldn't feel it. I flipped open the notebook, and slowly I started writing, trying to keep my hand steady.

"Can I have a hug?" I wrote, dropping the pencil onto the paper when I was done. Not even a second after I did so do I feel two warm and comforting bodies hug me tightly, and I nearly burst into tears. How can a simple hug with two boys I just met less than a week ago make me feel safe enough to cry?

I let out a silent sob and wrapped my arms around their arms that were around me, not really sure how else to return the hug from this position. I let my tears fall onto my lap, not sure if the tears were from relief or from fear. The memories scared me. They hurt, yet these two classmates made the pain go away just as fast as my mom or Neeks did.

After a few minutes I calmed down and let go of their arms, and the group hug ended. "Do you feel better?" Adrien asked, placing a hand on my shoulder. I nodded, and he smiled. "That's good. I'll get started on packing for the night, then. I imagine you want to get out of here pretty fast."

Once again I nodded, and after a few minutes we were ready to leave. We went downstairs and outside, where a lady with a red streak in her hair was waiting along with a gorilla-like man. "Adrien, we'll take you three to Jasper's house." She said strictly, motioning for the three of us to get in the limo and leaving no room for argument. Truthfully, with how dark it was getting, going with them was probably the smartest decision.

We all got in the car and stopped by Nino's house so he could get stuff for the sleepover, then I hand the gorilla man and the lady my address for them to find. "It's crazy close to the school, actually. Not as close as the bakery Marinette's parents run, but still really close." I wrote after the address, tearing that page out of the notebook so they didn't have to keep asking me for it.

"Oh, my mom might be up and walking around late tonight, so if we fall asleep before that I'm sorry if she wakes you." I wrote, showing Adrien and Nino the notebook.

"What does your mom do, Jasper?" Nino asked curiously.

"She's a painter."

"Really?"

I nodded, and Nino's grin widened. "That's so cool!"

"Where can we find her paintings?" Adrien asked curiously, smiling slightly. I began to write in my notebook, stopping a few times to think of how to write this.

"Well, she hasn't sold any of them yet, and she's only had a few exhibitions here and there. She never thought of making it a job until my accident and we moved here."

"I see." As he said that we arrived at my house and got out of the limo, Nino whistling in awe.

"Wow, you really do live close to school." He said with a grin as we went into the house. There was a light on in mom's studio, and I shook my head slightly as I turned on the lights in the living room as well as the tv. I wrote in my notebook, "Movies are next to the tv, pick whichever ones you want and get it started while I make sure mom eats, I'll get some snacks, too," before tearing it out and handing it to them before going to the kitchen. I make something simple for mom to eat and get her a new bottle of water, walking to her studio door and knocking.

"What are you doing home, Jasper? I thought you were coming back later..." Mom looked at me, setting down her paintbrush and her eyes becoming worried. I must have still looked shaken up because she rushed over to me and hugged me tightly, running a hand through my hair in an attempt to comfort me.

"Oh baby... Did you have another attack?" She asked softly, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. I nodded, returning the hug and sighing in relief from feeling her warmth. Her hands were gentle and they stayed away from my neck, she held me close and I knew she wouldn't harm me.

We stayed like that for a few minutes, Mom rocking me back and forth gently as the last of my anxiety disappeared.

"Do you feel better now?" She asked as I started to move away. I nodded and smiled before kissing her cheek and going outside, hearing Adrien and Nino talking while they waited for me. Mom heard their voices and a grin spread onto her lips. "Are those some of your friends?"

Once again I nodded and she squealed, painting forgotten as she stood up and walked out of her studio with a skip in her step and her paint-splattered clothes still on. "Alright, let me see these friends of yours." She said with fake sternness in her voice. Her smile and the twinkle in her sky blue eyes gave away that she was actually really excited.

She cleared her throat when she was by the couch, giggling when Adrien and Nino jumped up from the couch in alarm. "Adrien and Nino, I presume? I'm Mitzy, Jasper's mother." She held out her hand, waiting patiently for them to shake it.

"Whoa, Jasper, this is your mom?" Nino asked with a surprised expression as he shook my mom's hand.

See, the thing about my mom is that she looks younger than she really is. Not too much younger, but young enough to make a difference. She was 37 but looked to be around 28, having had me when she was 25. She had long wavy black hair that went down to the middle of her back and sky blue eyes, along with surprisingly tanned skin, considering how often she was inside painting. We were night and day in the looks department.

I nodded as Adrien shook her hand. "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Wells. I'm Adrien, and he's Nino. I'm sorry we came here without telling you. I hope you don't mind us spending the night here."

Mom laughed sweetly, ruffling Adrien's hair. "Oh, you are so sweet! Don't worry, don't worry, any friend of Jasper's is welcome in the house. Besides," She giggled again, a small flush of color adorning her cheeks as she rubbed the back of her head. "I wouldn't have noticed even if Jasper texted me because of how absorbed I get when painting. So it's better for him to just bring people over when he feels is best." She turned away from the, after she spoke, waving. "I need to eat and finish the last bit of painting I was thinking of doing today, so I'll take my leave now. Have fun boys!" She smiled and walked back into her studio, closing the door behind her and leaving the three of us in the living room.

I motioned for the two to start the movie, and go into the kitchen to make some popcorn and a few other snacks, as well as drinks for the three of us. I hear the movie start playing, and smile happily, feeding Neeks a piece of candy in the kitchen since no one was there to watch. He flew up and gave me a lick on the cheek while I reached up and pet between his ears with a finger.

A second later he was once again hiding in my jacket and I brought the snacks and drinks out to the living room, setting them on the coffee table in front of the couch. I went to sit in the chair next to the couch , but Adrien stopped me, grabbing my wrist almost delicately. "Wait, we want you to sit between us."

I furrowed my eyebrows, looking at the two as I cocked my head to the side. "Why?" Is what my facial expression hopefully read.

"We don't want you sitting by yourself, dude." Nino said with a slight worried tone in his voice.

"And if you have another panic attack we can help faster." Adrien added, more hesitant and unsure about what he was saying.

Either way, I thought it was sweet of them, and nodded, smiling. I went back around Adrien's feet and settled myself into the couch, right between Nino and Adrien. Together, the three of us began to watch a movie marathon, snacking on popcorn or chips and making random comments and jokes throughout the movies until we grew tired, and eventually we went off to bed and fell asleep.

One thing was for sure, though, as I lay in the darkness of my room, the sounds of Nino and Adrien breathing filling the silence. I was happier than I had been in a long time, and it could only get better from here.


	12. Chloe's Gone Crazy

The next few weeks went off without a hitch, I became closer friends with Adrien, Nino, Marinette and Alya, and very few akuma attacks came around, compared to the one-Akuma-per-day thing that had been going on for a few weeks before I had moved here. My medication was working, I had friends, and I was actually doing _okay_ for the first time since the accident.

Adrien apologized once for what had happened with his father, but after I told him to stop apologizing and that it wasn't anyone's fault, that I wasn't hearing _any_ of it, he never brought it up again.

Today, I felt, was going rather well, considering it was raining cats and dogs outside and poor Nathanael was out sick. He had been under the weather recently, but it still hurt to know that my desk buddy was feeling so sick he couldn't come to school. Needless to say, in all the classes we had together, I wrote notes for him, too.

The day was done and I was waiting with the others for everyone's rides. Nino and Alya were waiting for their parents, Adrien was waiting for Nathalie and his bodyguard, and Marinette and I were there to keep them company. Marinette was just around the corner and across the street, so she was walking home like I was.

"So Jasper, how has your mom's painting been going?" Alya asked, smiling. I grinned and began writing quickly, making sure my handwriting was still legible for the four.

"Really good, actually! She's started making a series with animal versions of the superheroes so I think once she gets a few of those done she'll be putting them in some galleries around town that people can buy after an exhibit at our place."

"That's great! Do you have refreshments and stuff at exhibits? Because my family can make some, if you want." Marinette suggested, smiling after she read what I had written.

"I'll check with my mom to see if that's okay, but if you don't mind, that'd be amazing!"

"Maybe I can get my dad to go. If he likes your mom's work he might ask her to paint something for the house. At least, I hope he does." Adrien bit his lip and furrowed his eyebrows in thought, and I shrugged.

"If he does, he does. If not, well, that's his loss." I responded, showing him the writing. His expression became the model smile again, although this one was actually happy and full of emotion, making look even more beautiful then before. "Yeah, that's true."

We continued talking, unaware that a certain... _annoyance_ was going to try something.

I could see Chloe and Sabrina coming over from my peripheral vision as we spoke, but I paid them no mind. The other four tried not to, but they all ended up being rather wary in their conversation and tense, like they were ready to come to my defense if needed.

See, Chloe still hasn't given up on the idea that I can talk and am just using it as I cry for attention, and her bullying has only gotten worse. While I had literally no care in the world for her or her antics and viewed them as a minor annoyance, my friends had thin strings of tolerance when it came to her. They had become extremely defensive and on guard with her after a failed attempt to get me to speak by stealing my things while I had "gone to the bathroom" (aka an Akuma attack was happening and I had to leave) and put them in a place I couldn't reach, and then cornered me while threatening me or something stupid like that. Truth be told I had already forgotten about it because I stopped letting bullies get to me back in elementary school when I was bullied for being an albino, so this was nothing, really.

Or, it _was_ nothing, until I found myself staring at the ceiling, my head thumping slightly, my stuff strewn around me, and felt the unmistakeable feeling of cold, damp air hitting the heated skin of my neck. My eyes grew wide and my heart began to pound.

_They did not yank off my scarf_.

I began to sit up slowly, glancing at the others to see their shocked and pained expressions. Marinette had a hand covering her mouth and Adrien looked like he was borderline angry. Nino and Alya looked ready to explode if their shaking was anything to go by. The panic I was feeling only grew.

_They did **not** yank off my scarf._

I felt my neck, flinching when I felt the rough, uneven scars there instead of the soft cotton of my scarf.

_They **yanked off my scarf!**_

I immediately slapped my hand over my throat, nearly looking like I was choking myself as I curled into a ball and squeezed my eyes shut, my body starting to shake lightly as anxiety started to flood through me. They all saw them, the scars caused by my accident, the physical proof I was unable to talk.

The first to snap out of their shock was Alya, who immediately glowered at Chloe and Sabrina, who was on the ground, holding my scarf in her hand after she had "tripped" and knocked me to the ground. "Chloe Bourgeois, you have gone too far!" She snapped,  and I flinched and covered my ears with my hands, shaking my head slightly.

Arguing started up as even Nino and Marinette began to snap at the two girls, but I tried hard not to focus on that and on my breathing. On the gentle nudge that Neeks was giving me in certain places under my jacket as he tried to make sure I wasn't hurt anywhere and that he was there while _he_ wasn't. That I was okay. I flinched when I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder and faintly heard my name being called, not loud and angered like the others were, so I slowly removed my hands from over my ears and tilted my head back to see Adrien offering me a reassuring smile as he held my scarf in his hand. He nearly seemed to be glowing in the dim light, and as I stared into the gentleness of those eyes, my anxiety seemed to flood away.

"A-Adrien?" I mouthed, a faint croak the only sound I could make before I coughed.

"Are you going to be okay?" He asked softly, kneeling next to me and very loosely wrapping the scarf around my neck to give it more cover. I quickly adjusted it to how it was supposed to be, nodding to his question. He squeezed my shoulder gently and I leaned against him, jumping when Chloe screeched in rage, turning and staring at her like a frightened animal. She glared at me then huffed, stomping away with Sabrina at her heels like a dog.

\-------------

When I finally managed to get home, I flopped onto bed and silently groaned into my pillow, Neeks flying out from his hiding place in my jacket and setting himself on my head.

"You certainly have your hands full," He remarked dryly, "Chloe seems like she'll stop at nothing to prove you are lying, and people keep triggering your memories..."

I nodded slowly, heaving a sigh into my pillow. Truthfully, I was just tired of that at this point. Why did I have to remember? Couldn't I just enjoy my life here in Paris as a superhero _without_ having to deal with my past?

Neeks sighed and clicked his tongue. "Well, on the bright side, you've made some amazing friends." His tone was much happier this time, and I could just picture the smile on his face as I proceeded to nod once more. After that we were quiet for a bit, and I listened to mom hum away as she painted in her studio while deciding if I should start on my homework. Neeks flew off my head and onto my desk, going to the bowl of candy I had placed there and starting to dig through it.

Just as I was about to start my homework a loud crash and a few screams rang out through the streets outside, and I looked out my window. There was smoke coming from somewhere nearby and people were running away from the scene. I saw red and black blurs go by and realized it was an Akuma attack.

I looked to Neeks and he nodded, flying into my necklace and transforming me. The moment the transformation ended I heard my mom come running out of her studio, so I scrambled out the window as fast as I could.

"Jasper?! Jasper, sweetie, did you hear that crash?" The door to my room opened and mom came rushing , if the sound of her voice and footsteps were anything to go by. She gasped sharply and I could imagine her looking around. "Jasper?!" A few seconds later my bedroom door slammed open and mom ran into the house, screaming my name loudly. "Jasper? Where are you?! Text me where you are if you are in the house!" She ran back into my room and yelled my name one more time, sounding desperate. It really hurt to hear her like this but I couldn't just show up like this the moment she called my name or even came into my room.

I took that as my cue to swing into the room from the open window, landing in front of my mom and causing her to scream in surprise. Which, by the way, _hurts_ when you have sensitive wolf ears.

"Sorry! I didn't mean to scare you, ma'am." I said with a small laugh as I rubbed my ears. Her eyes widened and she pointed at me, jaw dropping slightly. "Wolven?" She said said, disbelief clear in her voice.

I laughed nervously and waved, "Yep. That's me."

"What are you doing here?"

"I was just on my way to the attack when I heard you screaming out your son's name." I paused for a moment, realizing that Wolven technically has no idea who Mitzy Wells is, _or_ Jasper. "Um, he is your son, right?" I corrected, a little sheepish. I don't want to make a bad impression on my mom, after all.

Mom laughed softly and nodded. "Yes, he is my son... Have you seen him?" The worry was rekindled in her eyes with that sentence, and inwardly I flinched. I didn't mean to worry her, after all.

"Ah... what does he look like, ma'am?" I rubbed the back of my neck, glancing outside towards the commotion that was still going on. It was slowly getting closer, and the thought that it could reach my house at any moment made my hair stand on end.

"He has shaggy and unkempt white hair, and red eyes. He's really pale, too. Usually wearing a light blue scarf around his neck and carrying a notebook?"

  
I nodded and hummed in thought. "Well then... yes, I believe I did see him! He went of to the Dupain-Cheng bakery to get some pastries for you guys to share! Told me that himself when I passed by a few moments ago. I told him to stay there until the Akuma was dealt with, so please don't worry. Your son is safe." Another crash and I heard Ladybug yell Chat Noir's name, making me tense.

"Well, I really need to go! Stay inside until this is dealt with- unless the crashes get too close. I'll yell if you need to leave." I said quickly, leaving through the window and bounding down the street to the battle.

"What'd I miss?" I said as I came to stop, Chat Noir rolling his shoulder and covered in dirt from head to toe, while Ladybug was trapped in a twisted street lamp.

  
The Akuma this time was girl dressed in a slate grey one piece with a black belt laying slanted on her waist with red, green, and yellow lights blinking along the suit, as well as something that looked like one of those virtual reality headsets over her eyes with a purple butterfly outline on it. He hair was in a long black ponytail with a compass clipped into her hair.

"This lady is crazy!" Chat huffed, swiping off some of the dirt. "She keeps spouting random directions to things and they're following them to the letter! She's tossed me to the ground like five times and it's starting to hurt!" He was pouting, much unlike his character, but it seemed he was actually starting to get fed up with this fight.

Ladybug grunted as she managed to free her arm, tossing her yoyo into the air. "Lucky Charm!" She shouted, catching the item.

"Boys, you'll need to fight her while I get try to get free and set the trap, on three. Ready?"

"One."

"Two!" I crouched low, ready to start running, a growl sneaking past my grin.

  
"Two and a half!" Ladybug groaned while I snorted, biting my lip to keep from laughing.

"Chat! Focus!"

"Sorry, I had to." Chat chuckled readied his baton, ready to run and fight as well.

" _Three!"_


	13. Preparing For A "Date"

" _Three_!"

Chat Noir and I launched ourselves at the girl, Chat on the left while I took the right. Together we attacked from each side, and I hoped that either of our attacks hit. If my guess was correct, she could control people with her instructions, too, and that meant she could turn any of us against each other or stop either of us from landing a hit.

By her smirk, I knew something bad was going to happen.

"Wolven! In two point three seconds, go straight and fight Chat Noir!" The Akumatized girl said confidently, and suddenly I felt a pull in my gut as I tried to swipe at her with my claws, my feet carrying me forward as Chat Noir clipped her shoulder with his baton.

"Chat, dodge!" I said, panicked, trying to pull the claws back in. They couldn't cut skin, but they still freaked me out because they _hurt_ and they were heading straight for Chat Noir and I definitely didn't want to hurt him.

He gasped and quickly jumped back, landing a few feet away. My body followed him, and began swiping my claws at him. I cursed softly under my breath, looking up at Chat from a crouch as my body prepared to strike. "I can't stop my body! Either you need to try and stop her, or we end up fighting to distract her!"

"But-"

"Jump!"  He stumbled back a bit, my claws very lightly grazing his suit. Chat almost visibly gulped and looked at me for a moment, worry and uncertainty in his eyes before he ran towards the Akuma, staff poised to strike.

"Chat Noir, make the next possible u-turn and fight Wolven!" The girl cackled, jumping away from Chat Noir's attack with a large grin on her pale face; shining pearl teeth and gums all exposed. The next second he was turning around, letting out a small cry of surprise followed by a growl of frustration. Now he was coming after me, and either of us were really able to dodge.

My claws clanged against his staff, pushing it away and causing us to stumble apart. On and on we went, attacking each other and rarely landing a hit, a continuous play of left, right, swing, dodge, and all other things possible except our individual powers.

"Ladybug, are you done?!" Chat yelled, grunting slightly as we exchanged blows. I winced as his staff made contact with my shoulder. "Ow! Kitkat, at least _try_ to use less force!"

"Sorry, I can't control it!"

I glanced over to where Ladybug was, wondering why she hadn't responded, and she was focused on the girl, yoyo swinging around. She was walking towards her, smiling the whole time.

The Akuma noticed her and growled. "Ladybug! Join the fight after making a right turn in five feet!"

Five feet later, and Ladybug walked right past us, not even sparing us a glance. I sighed in relief that she hadn't been affected, looking back at Chat when he let out a yelp of pain. My eyes widened when I saw that my claws had scrapped across his collarbone, creating three tears in the fabric of his suit. "O-Oh my- I'm so sorry!" I apologized quickly, gasping softly as I felt his staff connect with my side, hard.

He gave me a weak smile, "It's fine! Are you okay?"

I nodded, ignoring the dull pain in my side and looking back at Ladybug when I hear a shriek of annoyance. She had wrapped the girl in her yoyo's string, and was stepping closer to her. "Alright, Navigator, hand over the compass." Ladybug took the compass from the girl's hair, throwing it to the ground as hard as she could and shattering the glass.

The small purple butterfly flew from it and Ladybug caught it, releasing it a moment later as she said goodbye. A moment later she took out two small earplugs and tossed them into the air, shouting, "Miraculous Ladybug!"

The flood of ladybugs and sparkles that come from the act swirl around Chat and I as well as all the damage, getting rid of everything that Navigator caused. Chat Noir and I were given control of our bodies again, so we immediately dropped our weapons. I sighed and ran my hand through my hair, one of the stripes disappearing on the large pendant and causing a small, quiet beep.

Chat laughed and stretched, happy. "Alright! Thank you so much Milady!" Chat smiled and attempted to hug her, Ladybug smirking a little and letting him hug her this time.

"No problem, Chat." She laughed softly and looked down at him from his hugging position.

"Yeah, thanks a lot. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't stopped her." I said softly, motioning to the girl who was lying by the road, confused.

Ladybug smiled and huffed softly, "I think you could have handled it!" She laughed, before lightly shoving Chat Noir away as her earrings beeped. Chat gasped softly, frowning. "Oh no, you have one spot left!" He said worriedly, and Ladybug tensed.

"Shoot, really? I've got to go! Bug out!" She waved and threw her toy, swinging away.

I walked over to the girl that had been akumatized and helped her up, smiling gently. "Hello. My name's Wolven. Are you alright?" I asked softly, watching her blush in what I figured was embarrassment.

"O-Oh, yes, I'm alright now!" She stuttered, quickly pulling her hands back to her body as I let go of them.

"Mind telling me what had caused you to get so angry?"

"My GPS kept sending me in circles and I couldn't find what I was looking for..." She admitted shyly, looking away. "In hindsight it was pretty stupid but I've just been having a rough day to begin with."

I nodded, smiling kindly at her. "I can help you find what you're looking for. What's the address?"

She seemed stunned for a moment before telling me the address of the place she needed to go, finding out she was looking for a shop that was hidden in a small side street that could easily be passed off as an alley. After escorting her to the shop along with Chat, I turned to the catboy superhero and crossed my arms over my chest.

"So," I started with a smile, "why is the lovely Chat Noir still here and not heading off to wherever he needs to be like a good little kitty cat?"

Chat laughed softly and grinned, resting his head on his hands as he threw his arms over his head. "Well, I was thinking maybe we should learn more about each other. Nothing too personal, but enough that we catch up to the same level of closeness that Ladybug and I already have."

I hummed softly in thought, smiling at him as we began walking back towards the scene of the fight. "We can't just do this during patrols?"

"It took me a year to learn the amount of information and closeness that I have with Ladybug, and I don't want to leave you out of that."

"That's sweet of you to say, Chat, but won't Madam Ladybug have something to say against this? She still doesn't trust me." I reminded him softly, tail swishing around gently.

Chat Noir was quiet for a few minutes before sighing, hands dropping to his sides. "I think she's being stupid! She always refuses to trust the newest superheroes, and yeah, okay, the last one who joined us was actually an Akuma but we all know that you aren't one!" He looked at me, emerald green eyes locking with my mismatched eyes, "You are an enigma, Wolven. We don't understand anything about you, or your Kwami, and she is refusing to listen to you and learn about it all because her Kwami has never heard of you before, and who knows what else. My Kwami and I, though... We really want to learn more. I want to be your friend and learn more about you as a person. My Kwami wants to find out what you are, where your Kwami has been."

I nodded slightly, biting my lip a little and chuckling softly. "Well well, Lover boy has a bone to pick with his long lost love, huh? I thought you agreed with everything she said? Found little flaw with her?"

Chat rolled his eyes and huffed. "I love her but she can be infuriating at times and definitely not perfect, as much as I may seem like I think she is."

A beep resounded between us and Chat sighed as he looked to his ring. "Well, I have to go. Meet me at the Seine at sunset."

"I'll be there." He smiled and waved before bounding off towards wherever he needed to be. I laughed softly and walked to the nearest alley by my home.

Once I detransformed I gave Neeks a piece of candy, looking at him curiously as he smirked.

"You have a date~!" He said in a singsong voice as he floated around my head. I blushed and lightly swatted at him, huffing and looking away. He laughed and nuzzled my cheek gently. "Alright, alright. It's _not_ a date. It is cute though. Anyway, for now, you should focus on going to Marinette's bakery and getting some macaroons or something to keep your story up for your mom."

My eyes widen slightly with the reminder, having forgotten that I probably should have been home by now if I had gone over to the bakery. I nodded quickly and Neeks flew into my jacket.

I headed off to the bakery after making sure I had money and my emergency notebook with me, which was basically a pocket sized notebook that was in my pants pocket at all times in case I somehow lose or forget my actual notebook. Akuma attacks will probably make it a very useful thing, if situations like this keep happening.

I made it to the bakery and entered the building, looking around as the small bell chimed upon my entry and the smell of fresh bread and sweets flooded my senses for a moment. A petite woman that looked a little like Marinette was behind the counter, seeming pleasantly surprised that someone had entered the store. Maybe it was normal for people to avoid going anywhere so soon after an attack? I have no idea, because the place is popular. Perhaps it was because I'm quite noticeably new to the building, considering how I look.

I smiled shyly and waved as she said hello, walking over to her. "How may I help you?" She asked, and I pulled out the small notebook, writing down what I wanted on the worn paper.

"Two baker's dozen of macaroons, please."

She once again seemed pleasantly surprised before a small spark of recognition entered her eyes. "Forgive me if I'm wrong, but are you Jasper, Marinette's friend?"

This time it was my turn to blink, nodding slowly. I didn't think Marinette talked about me. Marinette's mother smiled and held out her hand for me to shake. "I'm Sabine Dupain-Cheng, nice to meet you Jasper."

I nodded and took her hand, shaking it gently before writing down my reply. "Likewise, Madam Dupain-Cheng."

She smiled kindly and after putting my order into the cash register she got my boxes of macaroons and I paid for them.

"Here you go, two baker's dozen of macaroons, assorted flavor."

"Thank you. I'll be sure to come again. Tell Marinette I say hi." I wrote down, showing her as I took the boxes with one hand.

"Of course! Have fun, Jasper, and thank you for coming!" She waved as I left the store, speed walking back to my house.

Mom was going to freak out when she sees me, and I was already late enough.


	14. Macaroons and Evening Revelation

The moment I walked through the door, Mom removed the boxes of macaroons from my hands, set them down on the small table for keys and other things, then proceeded to crush my lungs as she hugged me.

"Oh, thank goodness you're okay!" She cried, burying her face in my shoulder and holding me even tighter. "I've been so worried! When you didn't come home or text me ten minutes after the attack, I-I thought something might have happened to you and the Dupain-Chengs!" She pulled away when I lightly tapped her back three times in quick succession, which, in these types of hugs, meant I couldn't breathe.

Now, some might say that she was being over protective, but I thought the timing made sense, especially when an Akuma was causing things to blow up or crashing to other things, and your one and only child- who is mute- had disappeared without a word aside from the promise of a superhero that they were safe. Five minutes of waiting to make sure everything was clear to leave, and five minutes to finish getting anything from the bakery and heading home. The walk between our home and the bakery was only a few minutes long, after all.

Mom's eyes were watery and her irises shined like gems, red blotches and puffiness forming around them making me realize just how scared I made her. This hurt much more than her being angry and disappointed in me. I scared her, and I promised her I wouldn't do it ever again after the accident.

I looked down feeling my own tears start to sting my eyes. I was an idiot for not thinking this through today. First, I forget to place a note saying I was leaving so she doesn't think I left without telling her, then I forgot to make sure I made it back in a reasonable amount of time. I took mom's hand and gently traced letters into it, spelling out "I'm sorry."

She took a deep breath and shook her head, the corner of her lips twitching into a small smile. "No, no, it's okay. _You're_ okay." She held my hand gently in her own and her thumb stroked the back of my hand soothingly. "I'm still trying to get used to all this, y'know? All these innocent people being turned into villains, superheroes, the new home... I don't know how you've adjusted so quickly." She laughed softly and brushed her hair behind her ear, lifting her gaze so she made eye contact with me. I shrugged slightly and offered her a shaky smile, before writing, "Friends?" on her palm.

  
She laughed sweetly and nodded. "Yes, I suppose friends would definitely help with adjusting." I nodded and smiled, happy to see she was already bouncing back from worrying.

A second later her smile turned into a smirk, a teasing light flickering to life in her eyes as she grabbed the boxes she had set down before. "Speaking of friends, the blond boy you brought over a while ago certainly was cute." She hummed, turning to go to the kitchen and set the boxes down. "When are you going to ask him out on a date?" She turned her head slightly to look at me from the corner of her eyes as she gave me a suggestive smirk.

My face flared red and I hid my face in my hands, thoroughly embarrassed. Her laugh sounded like bells as she opened the freezer, setting one of the boxes of macaroons there as I entered the kitchen.

I really wished I had my voice, wanting to exclaim in embarrassment instead of silently suffer.  I huffed and grabbed the small notebook in my pocket to talk to her.

"I don't like him like that!"

She giggled and shook her head slightly. "Your face says otherwise, sweetheart."

"Mom!!!!" My entire face felt hot now, only proving her point further. I was probably close to matching the red of my eyes.

She lightly covered her mouth with her hand and tried to hold back giggles, a small snort leaving instead. I huffed quietly, crossing my arms over my chest and turning away. She cooed softly and walked over, hugging me around my waist gently. "Aw, I'm sorry. I'll stop teasing you now." She pat my stomach lightly and moved away, going to the box she left out.

"Let's have some sweets now, yes?"Mom grabbed two of the small cookies, handing me one. I nodded in thanks and took a small bite of the sweet at the same time she took a bite of hers. She moaned happily and giggled again, smiling. "These are amazing! Jasper, you're going to have to keep me away from that bakery or else I'm going to get fat off their products." She said as she popped the rest of the macaroon into her mouth.

I smiled and nodded, chuckling faintly. "Yes mom." I wrote, rolling my eyes slightly as she took another macaroon and ate this one in a few big bites while reading it.

"Oh, shush with your sarcasm!" She waved her hand dismissively, glancing at the freezer. "By the way, why'd you get that second one? We'll be fine with just one for a few days."

"I'm meeting a friend tonight and thought some treats would be nice to have."

Mom read it and hummed, nodding slightly. "Alright. Just, do me a favor and be home some time before midnight?"

I nodded again and she smiled. "Thank you sweetheart. Can you also do me a favor and text me when you are on your way home? I can unlock the door for you or something."

"I'll be fine, thanks. Just do me a favor and actually get some decent sleep tonight? No more painting after nine, and I _will_   set five different alarms throughout the house to make sure you don't go past it."

Mom pouted slightly but sighed and nodded. "Fine, I'll stop for the night once nine o'clock hits."

"And make sure to eat, and go to bed as soon as possible."

"Yes, yes, I know! Now go get ready to meet your friend!" She gently pushed me towards the bathroom, smiling a little. "You need to shower again, sweaty."

\-----------

A few hours later and it was time for me to meet Chat Noir, so I texted my mom that I was leaving after grabbing the box of macaroons from the freezer, transformed into Wolven, and left through my window to make my way to the Seine at sundown.

I hummed as I went along the roof tops, waving to the few people still in the streets as night began to fall over the city whenever they saw me.

I made it to the closest bridge, which happened to be the Pont de Artes bridge, locks and all. I studied some of the locks as I waited, humming in thought. A few areas of the metal grid work looked weighed down and ready to break. Was it really worth it to place a lock along the bridge and throw away the key? What happens if you break up?

My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of feet landing next to me, and when I turned to see who it was I smiled.

"Hey, Chat Noir."

"Hey there, Wolven."

I held out the box of macaroons to him and smiled a little more. "I, uh, I brought some macaroon's from Tom and Sabine's bakery. Either we can share them, or, you can have them all to yourself."

Chat Noir's grin grew even bigger, and he eagerly took the box. "Oh my god, thank you!" He opened the box and immediately put one in his mouth, handling me another. I laughed at the sparkle in his eyes, shaking my head lightly.

"You're so silly."

  
He blushed lightly beneath the mask and laughed, shaking his head. "Sorry, I don't eat treats often. I, uh, am kind of under a strict diet outside of being a hero and I can't very well tell them to stop giving me the diet without telling them I'm a superhero."

I nodded, laughing softly. "Well then, I'm glad you like the treat."

"Thanks again." He leaned against the railing along with me, looking out at the Seine river. We were quiet for a few minutes, just looking out over the river, before I started speaking. "Well.... what do you want to know? And, uh, do you want to walk around while we talk?"

"We can walk, and I don't really mind what you talk about. Just tell me all that you're comfortable telling me and I'll do the same." He pushed off the railing, smiling at me. "Have you ever walked around Paris at night? You said you were new here when I first met you."

I nodded, straightening slightly when I left my small perch against the rail. "I've never walked around at night, no. Haven't really had the chance to go around and figure it out, I guess."

"What's there to figure out?" He asked, motioning with a tilt of his head for me to follow him as he started walking towards the Louvre. I followed him quietly, tail swaying side to side slowly.

"A lot of things. I-I've had a lot going on in the past year. One of the big things was getting my Kwami, Neeks. He," I laughed breathily, shaking my head slightly and looking down with a small smile, "He managed to find me in one of the most critical times of my life. In a way, he saved me. He'd been able to give me, well, everything. Without him, I'd still be miserable."

Chat Noir nodded, smiling a little. "Yeah, I kind of understand what you mean. All my life, I've been told what to do, no questions asked. When Plagg came along, everything began to change. I was given freedom, if only a little, and I've made so many friends that like me for who I am, not who I'm related to or because of my work." He took out his staff and played with it a little as he spoke, spinning it around his hand. I nodded and hummed softly, trying to think of what else to talk about.

"Where did you learn to dance?"

I blinked, looking at Chat a little surprised. I didn't think he'd remember the small, self-indulgent show I had put on during the dancer akuma incident. "Oh, I had taught myself to a degree, and my mom had signed me up for classes for a few years before an accident made it so I couldn't do it anymore."

He looked at me in confusion, a slight pout on his lips. "But you danced so well against Streaker. Heck, I'm pretty sure you were winning, and I think she was a professional."

I laughed softly and smiled, shrugging. "Strange, right? Whatever makes my Kwami different, makes me different too, unless you guys can heal with the transformation."

His eyes lit up at that. "Seriously?! That's so cool!"

I nodded again and grinned, showing my two small fangs as I was filled with childish excitement. "I know! I'm so thankful for it, or else doing any and almost everything would be so difficult as a superhero!"

"But I can do things perfectly fine, and so can Ladybug! We don't have some healing ability."

I laughed softly and gestured to the air, shrugging slightly. "Well, I mean, I do have a permanent injury that makes it difficult for me outside of being a hero."

His cheeks flushed red and he lightly slapped his hand onto his face, groaning softly. "Oh right, you literally just mentioned it! I'm so sorry, Wolven." He smiled apologetically, teeth still bright white even under the moonlight. "It's just... A little weird, how different you say you are outside of being a hero. Not in a bad way, I mean." He rubbed the back of his neck nervously, and I laughed, shaking my head.

"Don't worry! It's not your fault. It's pretty weird for me, too." I said softly, lightly clapping him on the shoulder and patting it. "I probably woke up the entire neighborhood the first time I transformed, what with all my screaming, laughing, and cheering in the middle of the night." I was quiet for a moment and hummed softly in thought, looking up at the sky. "They probably don't miss me all that much because of that, but hey, who knows." I shrugged again and looked down, bumping his shoulder lightly.

We had gone across the Seine, and were wandering around in the empty streets by the Louvre. Soft music was playing from somewhere nearby and filled the silence of the city. The Louvre's lights were dimmed since they had closed not too long ago, and I vaguely wondered just how much time had passed already. It shouldn't have been too long, right?

"Anyway, what's next on the list about me.... Well, my favorite sweets are cotton candy and practically anything with chocolate and/or peanut butter....and my favorite food is this Lemon-Wine chicken recipe from my mom's side of the family. It's so good." I smiled slightly as I spoke, mouth faintly watering at the memory of the taste on my tongue. "I also like pretty much anything with coffee in it. Or just coffee."

Chat Noir chuckled and nodded. "I see. Is your mom a good cook?"

"She's pretty good. Not the best, but, not the worst, either. As cliche as it is, her food is filled with love and care with each bite. It's always great to enjoy a home-cooked meal, you know?" I looked over to Chat once again, quickly noticing how his gaze fell slightly and he seemed down, the grin. "Shoot, did I say something wrong? I said something wrong. Sorry!" I began rambling apologies, not sure what I had said wrong but knowing it was quite possible it had everything and anything to do with the talk of family.

"No, it's okay. I'm just.. Remembering stuff, I guess." He smiled again a little weakly, and my panic both flared and dropped from the action, nervous and wanting to make sure he didn't say anything he didn't want to.

"Still! Family stuff can be hard, right? Private. I don't want you to feel like you have to tell me anything and I understand not wanting to talk about it and falling into memories..." I trailed off slightly as I started up another nervous rant, staring slightly at Chat as he waited for me to continue, any trace of sadness replaced with faint curiosity. My cheeks slowly began to turn red as my fleeting thoughts proceeded to screech to a halt and rewind, practically wiping away the point I was trying to make. ".... I.... I had a better point to add.... But I don't remember it...." I said sheepishly, eyes falling to the floor and hand coming up to rub at the back of my head.

Chat Noir chuckled again and pat my shoulder, dropping it a moment later. "That's okay, it happens to the best of us. You're probably tired."

"Maybe. It was rather hectic today, with the Akuma and all."

Chat bit his lip and nodded slightly. "Yeah, it was pretty crazy for me, too..." He sighed and I pat his back gently, watching as he seemed to deflate a little bit more.

"So I take it you had a busy day? Tell me just how busy it was without giving away who you are." I smiled slightly, trying to come up with ways to get Chat Noir smiling and happy again. I could try challenging him to a race to the Eiffel Tower, or something. After wracking my brain a few moments while Chat was silent, I still couldn't come up with something. I really need to learn where things are around here and what's fun to do. My attention snapped back to Chat when he started speaking, giving him my full attention.

"Well, I went to school and got into an argument with one of the kids there. She used to be my only friend, but now she's really mean and won't stop picking on this new kid. He's my friend, and he can't talk, so she keeps insisting that he can and started to.... Hurt him, really. I think it was suppose to be harmless, for the most part, but he's sensitive about his voice and the injuries he has and she practically exposed them for the world to see..."

I nodded, listening quietly. I was slowly getting a really creepy feeling and became a little confused because I went through pretty much the same thing. "That's.... That's weird...." I mumbled.

"What's weird?" Chat Noir looked just as confused now that I spoke, probably trying to figure out why I said his story was weird. I bit my lip and looked at him, hesitating on answering. I studied his face more, taking in the smallest details; the green of his eyes and the small, darker green flecks inside them, the dirty golden blond of his hair, the lightly tanned tone to his skin. I took it all in, mentally bringing up a picture of everyone who was there at the scene earlier today and was physically male that might even vaguely look like Chat as I spoke.

"I, um, had the exact same thing happen to me... Sort of."

Nino? No.

"What do you mean by sort of?"

Ivan? No.

"I was the one a girl was picking on...."

Nathanael? No.

"Really?" Chat Noir looked perplexed, ears perking up slightly in what might have been surprise. Slowly, I nodded. "Yeah, I-"  
Adrien?

I cut off, staring at Chat with wide eyes. They had the same green eyes and golden hair, the same face. There were subtle differences, but they were exactly the same.

His interest slowly dropped, replaced by worry, his eyebrows furrowing slightly. "Wolven?"

Even their voices were the same.

"Oh my god....." I breathed, still looking at Chat Noir in shock.

Chat Noir was Adrien Agreste.


	15. WARNING: Difficulty Processing- Revisit at a Later Time

Chat Noir's expression grew even more worried, and I knew I needed to give an answer, but it felt like my brain had short-circuited, revolving solely on the fact Chat Noir was Adrien.

"Wolven? Hey, seriously, are you okay?" Chat waved a hand in front of my face, and I forced myself to snap out of my stupor.

"Sorry. Sorry, I-uh- I just- I have to go, Chat...." I stammered, stepping back a bit. I felt guilty about this, but I couldn't just blurt out that I knew who he was. I had to wrap my head around this. "Sorry. I remembered I have to go do something and- I'm sorry." I gave him one last apologetic look before activating my boots, jumping away from the confused black cat and going back home.

  
\--------

Once I was safely back in my room, I detransformed and Neeks immediately flew around my head as I began pacing, my hands tangled in my hair.

"Chat is Adrien." I mouthed repeatedly. Soft croaks and voice breaks were coming out instead of words because I was trying to speak, but I didn't care. Neeks, however, did.

"Yeah, I know. I know he is, but Jasper, you need to stop trying to talk, you're hurting your throat!" The small kwami said nervously, paws tugging gently at my hands to try and get me off the mumbling. I knew I should stop, I could already feel the burn and itch that came with trying to speak, but I needed to at least _try_ to be vocal for once because this was a _huge_ revelation.

"Neeks, this is bad..! W-what if- what if somethings happens and I accidentally spill the secret?! His family- our friends- they-they could get hurt or-" A sharp pain struck my throat and my hands flew from my hair to my mouth as I coughed heavily and harshly into them, doubling over slightly and squeezing my eyes shut tightly.

"I told you!" Neeks cried in distress, and I could hear him digging through one of the many candy bowls along my desk behind the onslaught of coughs.

When I finally managed to stop coughing, breathing heavily and face probably red from exertion and barely being able to breathe properly, Neeks flew over with a cough drop in his paws and dropped it into my hands. "You calm again?" He asked softly, watching as I unwrapped the small candy and popped it into my mouth. My hands were shaking lightly, but I nodded and took a deep breath.

I went to my desk and grabbed my notebook and pencil, flipping through the notes until I found the one I needed. "Sorry..." I flipped through the color coated pages and skimmed the page I needed, pointing to the next one.  "I should have listened."

"Yes, you should have." Neeks scolded, before his stern and distressed expression fell and he let out a long, weary sigh. "Are you okay? Does anything still hurt or feel irritated?" He flew closer and placed a paw gently on my throat, resting his soft, fluffy head there next as he listened to my breathing. At least, I think that's what he was doing.

I nodded carefully, making sure not to headbutt him in the process. He flew back and sighed once again, ears dropping. He looked relieved. "Good, nothing sounds like it was torn or irritated. Eat that cough drop, make yourself some tea, apologize to your mother for waking her up if she sees you, and get some sleep. You've had a long day, have too much information crammed into your head, and have school tomorrow. We can talk about all this at a later date."

Once again I nodded, walking from the room as I sucked on the cough drop and enjoying how it soothed my throat. It felt a little weird, kind of like honey was coating my throat and kind of chilling it at the same time, but it really did help. It was easier to swallow. I went to the kitchen and quickly made myself some green tea, adding a spoonful of honey and a dash of cream. Normally I'd add more but I want to soothe my throat, not sweeten the tea to the point it felt like it was _too_ sweet and was "burning" my throat.

Thankfully I didn't run into my mom as I made the tea and went back into my room, because I don't really know how I'd explain trying to talk as I panicked over something without either giving away details or playing the nightmare card, and  neither of those were options I wanted to commit to.

Neeks had managed to pull back a few of the covers on my bed enough so I could crawl in, making me smile as I crunched away the last of the cough drop and set the cup of tea on my nightstand next to my pills. He was curled up on his own pillow and I got in bed after changing, turning off all the lights except the small lamp on the nightstand, and pulling back the last of the covers. As I drank my tea, though, the revelation that Chat Noir was Adrien was still causing my head to swim- not because it was impossible to see, or think about, because that was _obvious_. No, the reason it was causing my head to swim was because I couldn't believe how no one seemed to realize. Even after the tea was gone and I had laid down to sleep, I couldn't stop thinking about it.

But the exhaustion for the day won out in the end, and my thoughts faded into background noise; turning into silence as sleep took its grasp and held me until the morning.


	16. Getting Caught Is Never Fun

The next day throughout my classes, I was much more collected and able to think straight. I could talk to Adrien like normal, smile like normal, and all in all had pushed the thought to the back of my mind with relative ease. Yeah, it still caused something like nerves to tug uncomfortably at my gut and heart whenever I looked at him and noticed the similarities, but it didn't affect my friendship with him. He was Adrien and Chat Noir. He was himself, and it wasn't like I wasn't doing the exact same thing. That thought calmed my nerves faster than I had expected.

"Hey, Jasper, when is your mom's exhibition?" Nathanael asked as we walked to English from another class. I thought for while, thinking of how many paintings my mom had finished and what she had left.

I shrugged lightly and flipped to a clean page in my notebook, writing my response. "Probably in a month or two. She'll start letting me give out invitations once the date is confirmed."

"Cool. I can't wait to see them." Nathanael smiled sheepishly, clutching his drawing book a little closer to his chest. "Think she could give me pointers at some point?"

I chuckled breathily and nodded, flipping to a highlighted page where I already had a response prepped for the question. "She'd love to. Come by whenever you'd like and she'll gladly help you where it's needed, if at all."

Nathanael's smile brightened and he nodded. "That's be great, Jasper! Thanks so much!"

I waved my hand dismissively, which translated to "No problem" or "Don't worry about it" in this context. Nathanael's grin didn't leave his face as we walked into the last class of the day.

The excitement and relaxing atmosphere of the day didn't last long, however, as screams came from the floor below. Chloe groaned in annoyance, checking her nails for a moment as she whined, "Not _another_ akuma attack!"

Kim piped up next, looking a little nervous as everyone seemed to debate leaving or staying in the room and hoping nothing would happen. "Yeah, does anyone else notice how often our school is attacked? It's a hotspot for akuma!"

I nodded and looked around, starting to slowly inch my way to the door. I needed to leave and transform before people got hurt. I didn't know where Adrien was but I was certain he'd find a place to transform and make sure he didn't get himself hurt. Ladybug would be fine and get here soon, wherever she was.

I froze when I felt something slimy and warm touch my leg, a heavy shiver traveling up my spine.

Something is _crawling up my leg_ -

Okay, okay. Stay calm. It's probably nothing.

I slowly looked down, gasping and mentally screaming as I saw a long, thick gelatinous tentacle wrapping around my leg, watching with wide eyes as the disgusting thing started to slowly dissolve the parts of my clothing it touched. My breathing skyrocketed and I started hopping on one foot, shaking the other in an attempt to somehow loosen the thing and get it off me. I'm pretty sure it only tightened its grip but I kept trying anyway, terrified of whatever property was causing it to dissolve.

Rose, Chloe, Sabrina and Mylene screamed loudly, Nathanael and Alya shouting my name slightly drowned out by the girls' screams. Nathanael dropped his things to try and help me get the tentacle off my leg. I fell back onto the floor as I tried to pry off the tentacle with my shaking hands. It kept slipping through our fingers and reforming, steadily making its way up my body. I could feel it start to touch my skin on my leg and waist, the skin starting to tingle from the acid. My mouth was shooting off curses and other things at lightning speed, and currently I was thanking my inability to speak properly in the back corner of my mind because it was not pleasant to think, much less hear.

I shoved Nathanael away when the goop tried to wrap itself around him as well, only to watch as more tentacles darted into the room and trapped whichever teens they could reach as it tugged me back through the doorway once it firmly wrapped around my waist. It tugged me harder and most of the kids in the classroom that hadn't been caught shouted my name as I was pulled from the room.

I stumbled on my hands and knees to try and keep from scraping or bruising myself too much as I was pulled down the steps. The tentacle was joined by others, effectively tying me up from my shoulders down. Through the panic that was building in my chest I was thankful that the tentacles didn't wrap around anything that would be revealing once dissolved but I knew that my waist was already beginning to turn red from the acid.

Other kids were screaming as they tried to pry tentacles from their bodies as well as we were dragged to what I think was the cafeteria. I couldn't transform with so many other people around though. Even through panic, someone was bound to see if a classmate was eveloped in a bright flash and a superhero stood in their place. Neeks pressed his small paws against my pounding heart, probably panicking along with me internally and trying to get me to calm down enough to not be on the verge of flashbacks.

As I was dragged closer to the source of the goopy, acidic tentacles, I watched red and black blurs start freeing people, making me relax greatly. Ladybug and Chat Noir were here, and I could get away soon. Ladybug and Chat Noir managed to free everyone but me and a few others in just a few moments, and Ladybug went ahead to  try and stop the akuma. Chat Noir freed and took the others to safety as they were closer to the akuma, but the tingling around my waist had turned to an uncomfortable level of faint bubbling that made my throat burn and my fists clench with worry that was making me terrified that he wouldn't realize I was there.

Another wave of panic washed over me as I realized the chain for my miraculous was about two seconds away from dissolving into two.

I struggled desperately, pulling against the pressure of the tentacles and trying to ignore the steadily becoming painful tingle and bubbling that was starting to form along the exposed parts of my arms and legs with my chest and waist, the skin turning bright red from the irritation. A choked, broken cry escaped my lips as tears formed in my eyes, memories beginning to flash across my eyes. Neeks snuck closer and hid himself under my scarf, paws just below my ear.

"Jasper, it's going to be okay. It's okay, don't panic. I need you to focus on breathing, pup. Deep breaths, come on." Even though I needed to listen to Neeks, I couldn't remember how to breathe. My lungs refused to accept the air, feeling like they had locked up on me. Everything burned. Chat Noir was going to forget about me.

Chat landed in front of the cafeteria's door and looked around, fake ears flicking to pick up any stray noise. His entire body, ears and all, straightened when he saw me, in the middle of trying to remember to breathe. He cried out something that sounded like a strangled version of my name before darting over, his shadow crouched over me as he placed a hand on my shoulder to keep me still. Along with Neeks' coaching, his warm hand against my shoulder grounded me and suddenly I was shakily taking deep breaths and breathing as normally as I could beneath the layer of panic that still covered me.

"Don't worry, I'll get you out soon!" He smiled reassuringly at me as I stared at him with wide eyes, half-focused on the boy over me and half-focused on the tentacles that were beginning to rise behind him. I struggled slightly and moved my eyes from his to the tentacles behind him, trying to tell him to look out. His face screwed up into a confused expression as the tentacles shot towards him and my eyes grew wider and I attempted to yell, "Behind you!"

His own eyes grew wide and he extended his baton on reflex, smacking away the tentacles and disrupting their form long enough for him to focus on me again. I whimpered weakly when a small bit of the goop landed on my cheek, shivering and wishing I would wipe it away as I felt it burn.

Chat Noir's attention snapped back to me and he gasped, wiping it away for me. "Shoot! I'm so sorry! Give me two seconds and you'll be free, I promise!" He broke eye contact and I felt a quick burst of cold on my arms and shoulders before the weight and tingle of the tentacles disappeared. I quickly wrapped my arms around Chat Noir's neck in an extremely loose hold to keep myself from being pulled away to the akuma while watching as he used Ladybug's lucky charm to created a burst of- was that _liquid nitrogen?!_ \- on the tentacles around my waist and legs, and effectively smashing them with his baton.

"Hold on tight!" I didn't argue with his words, burying my face into the crook of his neck and wrapping my arms around him tightly as he wrapped an arm carefully around my waist. I was grateful that he avoided the acid burns and felt rather than saw as he launched us over the roof of the school with his baton. I felt the wind whip around my hair and press against the wounds on my back, tried to focus on the warmth radiating from the superhero and the scent that I could only describe as uniquely Adrien and Chat Noir.

Seconds, if not minutes, later, I felt my feet touch the ground but wasn't yet ready to move away from Chat, needing him to ground me just a moment longer.

"Hey..... A-Are you okay? I'm so, so sorry I didn't get you earlier, oh my god. These burns look bad." Chat fretted in a gentle voice, hands carefully grabbing my shoulders as I moved away to look at him and nod. He didn't look too convinced, and the guilty look he was giving me was absolutely crushing. I carefully reached up to take one of his hands, and he looked confused for a moment before a small flash of recognition entered his eyes as I wrote, "I'll be fine, it wasn't your fault."

"Can.... Can you not talk...?" He hesitated, faking confusion while trying not to seem insensitive. It made sense, since he had no idea that I knew who he was. I nodded in response to his question, which he returned with one of his own. "I see.... What's your name?"

"Jasper." I wrote, before looking over to the school again. Truthfully, we were just on the other side of the walls, at the bottom of the steps, but it felt farther away from the monster than it looked. I looked at Chat Noir and smiled bitterly, nodding towards it. "You need to help Ladybug, right?" I mouthed the words slowly, so he could understand, and his green cat eyes widened.

"You sure you'll be fine? The burns-" I placed my hand over his mouth, giving him what I hoped was a pointed look along with a small, endearing smile.

" _Go_ , Chat Noir." I mouthed, "I'll be right here until you guys win, promise."

His eyebrows furrowed but he nodded after a moment, so I took my hand away from his mouth. He stood up and looked back and forth between me and the school, and I gestured to the building once more. Chat Noir sighed, but nodded once again. "I'll be back as soon as we've beaten the Akuma. I don't know if those burns will be healed by Ladybug's abilities." I nodded to show I heard, and he went back inside the building.

I heaved a sigh, coughing slightly afterwards, and stared back at the school, wondering if my help really was needed or not. I was already exhausted from the panic and adrenaline I had felt when I was caught, and my entire body ached from the burns.

Neeks popped his head out from the folds of my scarf, looking at me with worry. "You okay, Jasper?" I shrugged in response, holding out a hand for him when I confirmed that no one was around. He flew onto my hand, nuzzling my cheek in the way. "Do you feel up to fighting?"

I shrugged once again, looking at the school before looking at the ground. I started tracing my response on the ground, "I don't know. Maybe."


	17. Difference Between Kwamis

I thought a little bit longer, before turning to Neeks, who was waiting quietly for a decision. He studied my face for a moment before his ears drooped.

"You want to fight?" He asked softly, ears drooping further as he took in the look I must have been giving him. I nodded and he looked down. "Okay.... We can't stay long though, and your transformation won't hold well." He warned, making me a little confused. What did he mean that my transformation would hold well?

I transformed seconds later, and immediately felt something off about it. My throat still hurt and when I studied my body I saw that marks from the tentacles still covered my arms. My miraculous let out a shrill beep, and I watched, shocked, as one of the stripes disappeared. "W-What the?! Why did I already lose a stripe?!" I yelled in confusion, staring with wide eyes. A large crash alerted me to the school  and I pushed my worries to the back of my head to focus on the task in front of me. I need to help Ladybug and Chat Noir.

I crouched low and my boots activated, clicking faintly before I leapt into the air and over the school's walls. I ran towards the cafeteria when I heard Chat Noir yell Ladybug's name, eyes widening slightly when I see the half-frozen Akuma waving tentacles around and having some of them wrapped around Ladybug and Chat Noir. Their suits were dissolving much more slowly than normal clothes thanks to magic, but it still caused my stomach to twist into knots.

The Akuma itself was a bright, almost radioactive chemical green color that was translucent and showed the shape of what might have been a science beaker. It never stayed in one place for long, traveling from tentacle to tentacle and through the body as long as it wasn't frozen or broken by the liquid nitrogen.

"Guys! Hang on, I'll find a way to get you out!" I called up to them from where they were being held, glancing back to the body of the Akuma. It had dissolved a good portion of the floor and ceiling, and got itself stuck in the hole it created, but the mass of tentacles it had was enough to keep Ladybug from being able to grab what seemed to be the hiding place of the butterfly.

"You're late!" Ladybug snapped in irritation, and although we weren't on the best of terms, it sounded like she was more irritated by the Akuma than my tardiness. Chat Noir smiled brightly at me with relief in his eyes, mouth opening to say something before it clamped shut as the happiness disappeared and was quickly replaced with worry and confusion. "What happened to your arms?" He yelled down to me instead.

"Worry about that later! Let's just get you two out of there before your suits dissolve!"

Ladybug gasped and became a lot more nervous, and I could only guess one of her spots disappeared. "Hurry! I don't have very long!"

I looked around for the lucky charm, wanting to spray the tentacles and cut them with my claws once they were frozen. I spotted the red and black "gun" that held the solution behind a half dissolved table and rushed for it, snatching it from the ground and ducking as a tentacle shot towards me. It turned around and came after me again, causing Ladybug to shout, "Behind you!"

I turned and yelped as it wrapped around my wrist, instinctively trying to shake it off before I sprayed it with the liquid nitrogen, watching it freeze over. I smashed the tentacle and rushed towards where the others were, dodging more of the appendages as they tried to wrap around me too.

"Arcessere: Lemur!" I murmured, before jumping and climbing along the destroyed cafeteria with ease. I grabbed onto one of the steel pipes hanging from the hole from the second floor and sprayed the tentacles holding the other superheroes as well as the tentacles near them. I was about to swing from the pipe onto one of the frozen tentacles but before I could give myself enough distance a tentacle wrapped around my leg and yanked me down, scrapping my hand up in the process as it was forced from it's hold on the broken pipe.

"Wolven!" Chat Noir cried out as I got slammed into the ground. I cried out in pain, shuddering slightly as I started sitting up in the destroyed table, ears flat against my head as I lifted a hand to rub the back of my head.

"Ow..." I whined softly, bringing my hand back to my field of vision to make sure it isn't bloody from the crash. The other hand's palm was torn open but it didn't hurt much. "I'm okay!" I yelled to Chat, giving them a thumbs up after checking for any more wounds. Chat sagged slightly in what I assumed was relief before he used his staff to break the tentacles holding him and Ladybug captive, the two heroes dropping down to the frozen tentacles beneath them.

I gasped as I was pulled closer to the creature, feeling the dissolving fluids eat away at the parts of my clothes closest to my skin on my leg. My breath hitched slightly and I tried to scramble away, the lucky charm having fallen from my hand in the fall. "Guys, help!" My voice cracked from fear as I felt the bottom of my foot touch the body of the Akuma, and I could almost hear the bottom of my shoe start to dissolve. My breathing picked up and I dug my claws into the floor, trying to stop more contact.

Phantom pain exploded in my throat and lungs; I suddenly couldn't breathe. I felt nauseous and a scream choked itself in my throat as my shoe was dissolved and the slime of the Akuma began to touch the bottom of my foot. I knew I was shaking and when I turned to swipe at the tentacle pulling me closer, I saw a hand instead. I gasped for air and became more frantic in my attempts to cut it away, but just like when I wasn't transformed, it reformed almost instantly.

"Get it off, get it off, _GET **HIM** OFF_!" I heard another beep from my miraculous loud and clear, and the next thing I know I'm being pulled away from the mass of green and pulled against a warm chest. I tensed and pushed away, scrambling back a few feet before a sudden sense of calm flooded my system, my body relaxing and my vision returning to normal. I took deep breathes, panting as I saw that I had pushed away from Chat Noir and Ladybug was breaking the akumatized item to catch the Akuma.

Ladybug glanced worriedly over to us as she pulled out her yoyo to catch the butterfly,before focusing on her task while I returned my attention to Chat Noir. He looked extremely worried, and I frowned when I saw the smear of blood I caused on his suit from the injury in my hand.

"....Sorry." I said meekly, lowering my head and looking straight at my lap.

"A-Are you okay?" I glanced up to see him slap a hand to his face, angry with himself for asking the question with an obvious answer.

I opened and closed my mouth for a few minutes, trying to remember how to talk properly. "...I've been better.... Did I hurt you?"

"I'm fine. So is Ladybug." As soon as Chat Noir finished speaking, Ladybug did that thing that basically resets the damage, and all physical traces of struggle with the Akuma disappear from my body- along with the ache- except for the cut on my hand.

"I need to get going! Are you okay, Wolven?" Ladybug called over, already swinging her yoyo. I nodded and gave her a thumbs up with a smile, before shooing her away with my hand. "Get going before we find out who you are, Little bug!" I called, making her laugh softly in relief before she swung away.

Chat Noir still looked worried and I sighed softly, reaching up and gently scratching behind his fake ears. "I'm okay, don't worry... I'll tell you guys about it at patrol later tonight. For now, I need to get going, and so do you." I stood up quickly once I got him to relax and purr, crouching low and jumping over the school's wall again and finding a safe place to detransform before running back to the place I was told to wait for Chat Noir.

Not even a second later, Chat Noir came running over, and he sighed in relief at seeing me without injury thanks to Ladybug's magic. "Okay... Okay, you look fine. Thank goodness." He smiled as he looked over me, but his smile faded when his eyes landed on my hands. "Wait... What happened to your hand?"

I looked down and my eyes widened as I remembered the cut on my palm, which was causing some blood to run down to my fingertips. I quickly hid it behind my back and smiled the best I could, shrugging slightly. I tilted myself to the side and flailed my arms a bit as if to say, "I fell."

Chat Noir definitely did not look convinced, his eyes squinting in suspicion and he looked from my hand to my face, as if trying to see if I was lying-which I was.

After a few long, agonizing moments, he stepped back and nodded. "Alright... Well, you look fine, and you're standing without any trouble, so I should get going. It was nice to meet you Jasper. I'll see you later!" He smiled and waved before running off, and ai let out the breath that I didn't realize I was holding.

Neeks flew from his hiding place and sat on my shoulder, looking up at me. I looked at him questioningly, asking him silently about what happened with my transformation, and also wondering what caused me to calm down so fast even though that was _not_ supposed to happen.

He shifted a little uncomfortably and his hears flattened against his head again. "We need to talk?"

I nodded, starting to walk home. Neeks whined softly, but didn't object aside from a soft "What about your things?"

I pulled my phone from my pocket, making sure not to get anything bloody, and quickly typed my response. "I'll get those from Nathanael or Alya or whoever has them later."

Neeks nodded and sighed again softly, laying himself over my shoulder like a stuffed toy as we walked the short distance home. Once I was inside, the both of us froze as I was about to close the door, hearing feet thudding against the floor. Before I could really register what was happening I was suddenly barreled into and squeezed almost painfully by my mom, hearing her shout my name.

"Jasper! Oh my sweet baby boy, are you okay?" She kissed the top of my head before grabbing my shoulders and moving back so she wasn't on top of me, looking over me. While all my burns had been healed, my clothes were not as lucky. "Your clothes! What did the Akuma do to you? Oh, baby, nothing hurts, right?" She cried, placing her hands on my cheeks so I could look into her tear-filled eyes. I blushed slightly from her overly affectionate actions, smiling nervously.

"I'm okay, mom. The superheroes made sure I was alright. The only damage on me now is a scrape I gave myself." I mouthed slowly so she could understand. She sighed and laughed softly, hugging me again; gentler this time. "Thank goodness. I was so worried." She ran a hand through my hair and I gently hugged her back, angling my injured hand so it didn't touch her and ruin her clothes. After a moment she moved away and gently took my injured hand, studying it.

"Okay... It doesn't look too bad. Could be much worse, yeah? Let's get this cleaned up and bandaged. Thank goodness this isn't your dominant hand." She said softly, wrapping an arm around me and leading me towards the kitchen sink so she could wash the cut. She turned on the hot water and let me wash my hands under it before it got too hot as she got out the first aid kit we had under the sink. We found that more accidents between the two of us happened in the kitchen, so we kept a first aid kit here for easier access.

After washing my hands, Mom dabbed the cut dry with a paper towel before grabbing a small container of Neosporin and giving my cut a good slathering of it. We stopped having any type of disinfectant that caused stinging after my accident, and Neosporin worked well enough so we didn't particularly care about the others anymore.

Mom wrapped my hand in gauze carefully, letting me clench my fist a bit to see if it was too tight. I gave her a thumbs up and she secured the end of the gauze with a sigh, kissing my forehead gently. "Try not to scare me like that again, please? I'll try to get you some new versions of that shirt and pants, but I can't make any promises..."

I shook my head, smiling, and carefully took her hand in my own before starting to trace letters on her hand to talk to her. "It's okay, you don't have to." I wrote, smiling up at her moments later. She laughed softly and hugged me again. "I'll start looking, anyway. Why don't you go get some rest and change out of those rags? I'll come check on you in a little bit."

I nodded, smiling. Mom ruffled my hair before stepping to the side, gesturing towards my room. I kissed her cheek and hugged her a final time before going to my room and closing the door. I locked the door with a sigh and made my way to the dresser, shedding the remains of my clothes and changing into some old workout clothes. Neeks flew to my desk and sat down by the peppermint candy bowl, grabbing one of the treats and beginning to nibble on it. He wouldn't meet my eyes when I went over to him, sitting in my desk chair and looking at him pointedly with my arms crossed over my chest.

Neeks sighed heavily and looked up at me, staring for a few moments before looking down, as if debating whether or not he wanted to tell me something.

"So, I'm sure you've noticed you are different from the others..." He started, trailing off as he watched me nod. His tail twitched nervously. "Well, that's part of a cultural difference- although I'm not sure why. Since I'm from America the... Rules, pertaining to the miraculous stones are different. Wolven's chosen- your predecessors- had a give and take relationship with us, unlike the Chinese kwamis. They give, but do not take. The human they are giving their abilities to, does not have to give them energy."

My eyebrows furrowed as a question formed, and as I opened my mouth to at least communicate my confusion, Neeks cut me off. "Yes, you humans do give us energy, in the form of nutrition, but the type of energy I'm talking about...." He flew over to me and placed a paw over my heart. "...It's from inside. You aren't giving away your life force or anything dangerous, but your stamina and mental exhaustion are a part of the trade. The more exhausted you are, the shorter you will be able to be Wolven." He said softly, flying back to the desk. "That's why you can go on for longer than five minutes while using your ability, and why you appearance is so altered. In a way, you can say we merge together.

"Another difference is that, while the Chinese Kwamis wait inside their miraculous for the holder to pick a suitable chosen, _I_ pick my pup. _I_ create the miraculous and what the outfit looks like based on the personality and the spirit of my pup. There is no middle man."

I grabbed a piece of paper and quickly wrote down my question before he could continue, showing it to him. "How do you know that you've chosen the right person to be Wolven? What do you look for?"

Neeks was quiet for longer then he needed to be, but I eventually got some form of an answer. "There... There is a 'code' that my chosen must follow. You might know of it as _The Way of the Warrior._ If they fulfill that code, as well as a special condition.... Most times, they are worthy of becoming Wolven. They become my pups, and I care for them a great deal."

After he said that, he looked like he was done with sharing for the evening. I nodded and gently picked him up, nuzzling his stomach with my nose. He giggled and hugged my nose gently, nuzzling back. "Hey Jasper?"

I nuzzled him again as I set him on the desk, a scratchy, questioning hum escaping me before a soft cough followed. Neeks smiled up at me brightly, although a small bit of sadness was hiding in his blue eyes. "You're my favorite pup."


	18. Bonding Moments

About an hour after Neeks told me a little of his story, mom came into the room after knocking on the door, a plate in her hands with a simple ham and cheese sandwich in her hands. "Hey, Jaspie. Feel any better?" She asked softly, using an old nickname she had given me when I was younger, walking over and setting the plate in front of me as she pulled over a chair to sit next to me.

I took the small notebook I placed next to me and started writing my response. "I feel fine, mom. Thank you for the sandwich."

"No problem, baby." She sighed and pat my knee softly. She looked a little uncertain about something, biting her lip and just giving off an uncomfortable vibe. I turned my notebook back to me and wrote my question.

"What's on your mind?"

Mom read it and bit her lip a little harder, running a hand through her long black hair. "Jasper, what's your opinion on that one superhero- Wolven?" I tensed slightly and bit the inside of my cheek, shrugging slightly before motioning for her to continue. "Well, I was just... just thinking- he acts so much like you did before your accident! He can dance, and he smiles and laughs and his voice expresses so much.... And he even looks like you! Isn't that strange? It-It was so strange... I almost burst into tears when I saw his smile..." Her embarrassed and uncertain smile turned sad as she looked down, eyes starting to tear up. I tensed a little more and quickly hugged her, pulling her close so her head rested on my shoulder. I rubbed her back as she hugged me, not sure what else to do.

"He reminds me of you so much, Jaspie!" She sobbed softly, making my heart break a little bit. "I love how you are now, but whenever I heard him talk, or laugh, in those news reports or the ladyblog videos- it just reminds me of you and it makes me miss those days- when we didn't have to be afraid! When you weren't scared and could dance and not be short of breath." Mom moved away and held her head in her hands, a loud sob escaping her. "I'm such a terrible mother for even thinking that!" She wailed, looking almost picturesque as she held her head in her hands, her wavy hair curtailing her as she curled in on herself, late afternoon light trickling in through the curtains in my room and causing a halo effect around her.

My heart broke at the sight and I frowned, shaking my head even though she couldn't see it. She had no reason to feel that she was a terrible mother. Even I felt that way sometimes, and I was also the person who was causing her to feel this way. I hugged her tightly, shaking my head. I lifted her head up gently and mouthed, "You aren't a terrible mother. It's okay to feel that way."

She smiled, still crying and sniffling softly as she moved to wipe her tears away. She laughed faintly, shaking her head slightly. I offered her a tissue and she took it gratefully, dabbing at the corner of her eyes. "When did you become such a mature boy?" She teased lightly, making me smile and shrug slightly.

"When the best mother in the world raised me?" I wrote with a sly grin, making her blush and laugh again.

"Aw, you flatter me." She hugged me gently again, resting her chin on my head. "I love you, Jasper."

I drew a heart on her back then a U and the number two, smiling and hugging her a bit tighter. We stayed like that for a few seconds longer, mom running her hand through my hair and I held her tightly, sighing happily and nuzzling her shoulder gently.

When she pulled away, she sighed and dabbed at her eyes again with the tissue, clearing her throat slightly. "Well, I apologize for throwing that on you so suddenly, I just... I panicked when I heard that you had gotten caught by the Akuma and thought I would actually lose you this time if the heroes didn't get there in time."

I held up a hand and shook my head, trying to tell her she didn't need to feel guilty about that, or explain why she burst into tears. I know the past few years have been harder on her than they have on me, mainly because I had Neeks with me and a chance to be like I had been in the past.

She still seemed like she wanted to explain, but after a moment it faded and she smiled sweetly instead. "Okay, okay. I get it. I'll stop being guilty and go start the last few pictures for the exhibition." She ruffles my hair once more before leaving the room. "Don't forget to eat!" She called over her shoulder as she closed the door to my room.

Neeks chuckled softly and whistled slightly. "Wow, today is a very active day for you." He teased lightly, floating over from his hiding place on his pillow. I nodded and began eating the sandwich that mom had brought in before she had started crying.

"Yeah, but that's okay. I understand where she's coming from." I wrote down as I ate, looking outside the window. I'd have to go on patrol soon and explain what had happened earlier with the Akuma. What even caused that one? I couldn't really say I cared too much about the reason, but I did feel bad for whoever it was and would have listened to their problems if I had had the time. I think it had been the chemistry teacher, but at the time I was too panicked to tell.

When I finished eating, I picked up the plate and stood up, Neeks coming to rest on my shoulder as we walked from my room. Faint music was trickling out of Mom's studio, her humming following it as she worked on her next painting. She had a tendency to play music while sketching out the design of her pictures or painting it, but when she was coming up with decisions she turned it off to focus better. Looking at some of the finished paintings she had placed around the house; some of animal versions of the superheroes and others of scenery or that symbolized the hardships of the past few years, itwas nice seeing how much brighter her recent ones were.

I took care of my dishes and grabbed one of the macaroons we still had from the bakery, breaking off a small piece for Neeks. He took it with a happy whine and ate it in a few bites, laughing after he did. "Stop giving me food! You'll make me fat!" He laughed, licking my cheek affectionately as I ate the rest of the sweet. I shrugged lightly, petting him gently as we went back to my room so I could actually take a nap before patrol.

When I woke up to my alarm, it was dark outside. Neeks was in front of me in a second, and I smiled. "Let's go?" I mouthed, watching as he nodded. "Sure. You know what you are going to say?" I nodded, and he flew into the necklace, activating the transformation.

Like usual, I go to the Eiffel Tower to wait for the others, laughing along the way happily and waving to any people that were around. I usually got waves back from the children and a few people who probably lived in Paris. Tourists usually had a tendency to look at me with a confused face.

I danced along the rooftops as I made my way to the Eiffel Tower, humming as I went and honestly just having fun while checking for anything bad. When I made it to the monument, I looked to see if anyone was waiting there yet, and I spotted a flash of blond hair and a flash of red about halfway up. I jumped up into the beams, climbing my way up to the two. When I got there, Chat Noir was busy trying to flirt with Ladybug, who just laughed and rolled her eyes. "Chaton, I already told you, I'm not interested." She said good heartedly with a small laugh.

"But, miladybug! We could be the _purrfect_ pair!" He said playfully, laughing as the pun made her groan.

"Don't you always say that?" I asked, a small chuckle escaping my lips even though I felt a slightly uncomfortable feeling in my gut at his words. I pushed it away and a louder laugh escaped me as Chat Noir came over and hugged me as tight as he could for a few seconds.

"Wolven! You look so much better now! Is your hand okay?" He asked, stepping back and taking my bandaged hand carefully in his own, a thoughtful expression on his face. Ladybug came over and smiled, looking relieved. "He's right, you don't look as pale. I take it you got some rest?"

"My hand will be fine, Kitkat, and yeah, I got some rest. Took a two hour nap, had a good talk with my mom, ate, learned some stuff about my Kwami-" I held up a finger to silence Ladybug as she opened her mouth to ask a question, "Sorry, Ladybug, I'm not going to tell you what it was."

She frowned and huffed, crossing her arms stubbornly over her chest. "Alright, well, are you going to tell us about what caused your panic with the Akuma? Not that it wasn't justified." She said softly, worry taking over her features once again. I rubbed the back of my head nervously, laughing weakly.

"Ah, right. Can we go somewhere more secluded to do that? It's personal..." I said hesitantly, smiling a little nervously. Ladybug nodded and swung her yoyo. "Yeah, follow me." She said, before swinging off. Chat Noir and I followed her closely, Chat keeping me from missing or overshooting the rooftops. We traveled on with small conversations between the three of us, mainly about random things, until finally we reached a place on the outskirts of the city. Here, everyone had seemed to go to bed already.

When we stopped in one of the roofs, I sat down and pat the spots next to me, sighing slightly. "You might want to sit for this, who knows. Ladybug, I'm going to need to catch you up on something, because Chat Noir already knows a bit about me."

"Okay. What do you need to tell me?" She asked, sitting down on my right while Chat took my left. She looked confused, her eyes darting between the two of us as if asking what we knew that she didn't. I took a deep breath before starting, "Okay, so, the thing is, my Kwami has this ability that heals any wounds from my civilian form or something like that."

"Sorry to interrupt, Wolven. Speaking of that, actually, how did you get those burns from the Akuma when you didn't get there until like halfway through the fight?" Chat asked sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck a little. I paused in my story, trying to think of something that wouldn't give away what I had learned a few hours ago. "Uh.... I had been there earlier and had my butt handed to me. Had to retreat and come back after a recharge, but it wasn't a full one. My Kwami couldn't work in enough energy to heal them." I said slowly, becoming more confident in the lie by the end up still uncertain that it would work.

Both superheroes gave me looks that said they did not believe a word I just said, which made me shift a little uncomfortably. " _Anyway_ ," I start again, hoping to push the topic back on what I needed to tell them. "The reason I needed you to know that is because I had a... Let's say, 'accident' a few years ago back in America that caused me permanent damage to my body and nearly killed me." I curled up slightly, pulling my knees to my chest and wrapping my arms around my legs as my tail curled around to brush my toes. "It makes civilian life difficult. When I'm Wolven, I can be myself again.... But, well, my mind isn't exactly..." I trailed off, looking up at the stars in the sky, trying to figure out how to explain. "I guess you could say I have PTSD-Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I get flashbacks, hallucinations, nightmares, and phantom feelings from or about the accident."

I paused again, glancing at the heroes. Chat's eyes were wide and filled with overwhelming sadness, a small shining of terror in them as well. Ladybug was shocked, mouth hanging open slightly.

"W-Why are you telling us something this personal, Wolven?" Chat asked softly, voice barely above a whisper as he placed a hand in my shoulder. I sighed and leaned into his touch, looking at the sky again as I tried to think of how to explain the next part without causing them to freak out. My ears flatten against my head as I started my answer.

"Weeeeeell, my accident, it- uh-" I bit my lip and closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. "My accident involved acid- a lot of it."

Both of them tensed visibly and their eyes widened. "What do you _mean_ 'acid'?!" Ladybug asked, shocked and almost angry. I whimpered and held up my hands in surrender.

"Wait, wait! Not that type of acid, I swear!" I said quickly, leaning further against Chat as he wrapped his arms around me almost defensively.

"You mean the corrosive kind, right? The type with chemicals." I nodded quickly, tilting my head back to face Chat with relief shining in my eyes.

" _Yes_! Oh my gods of Olympus, I would never do drugs! Especially not when I was _thirteen_!" I nearly screeched, terrified by the anger that had lit up in Ladybug's eyes at the accidental insinuation. She looked absolutely livid and it reminded me rather quickly not to get on her bad side.

Ladybug's cheeks flushed red when she realized her mistake and she gasped softly, covering her mouth with her hands as her anger was replaced by embarrassment. "Oh my god, I'm sorry! I shouldn't have insinuated that-"

"It's okay! It was a perfectly valid thought, though not one I expected." I laughed nervously and Chat scratched behind my ears a little, calming me down.

"Still. It was rude of me, and I need to apologize for it as well as how I've been acting towards you. You have your own fair share of secrets, but you aren't bad, or threatening us in anyway. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to accept that." She said softly, deflating a little. "I just don't want a repeat of Volpina."

I smiled slightly at that, waving a hand dismissively in the air as I started to sit up from my place against Chat Noir's body. "Don't worry about it. I've been treated worse."

"But-"

I groaned, leaning my head back and laughing. "Ladybug, just accept that I don't hold anything against you!"

Chat chuckled as he dropped his arms from my waist, stretching them over his head instead. "Well, I've got an idea. Since it's Friday, how about we do patrol and then just spend an hour or two getting to know each other better? It'll help us build teamwork."

I nodded, my tail wagging a bit. "That sounds like a great idea! Shall we?"

"We shall." Ladybug stood up, and the two of us followed her lead.

We each went in a different direction, meeting up at the Eiffel tower an hour later. For the next hour we traded stories and facts, things that could be told without giving away who we were under the masks. It made me happy. It made me feel safe, and I couldn't ask for anything more after a day like today.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we are all caught up! I actually wrote this chapter and the one before it two days ago, so I'm rather proud of myself for writing it so quickly. Halloween chapters will be coming out either Sunday night or Monday morning, depending on when my dad says we leave, and then there will have to be long waits between chapters. Hopefully no longer than a month, but who knows what'll happen. I'll try and get myself on a schedule though, I promise!
> 
> In the meantime, thank you so much for all the kudos and the comments! They are very heartwarming to read and give me a nice little confidence boost as well. Don't be afraid to comment any ideas you want to see, either! I'm open to suggestions and will try my hardest to give you what you want!


	19. Mischief Night Surprise

It's been a month since the incident with the radioactive tentacle monster, and Halloween was right around the corner; only a day away. Everyone was happy and excited, some people talking about what they were going to be and others deeming to keep it a secret. Personally, I was thinking about either cosplaying as Prussia from the anime Hetalia, or maybe doing some sort of vampire or werewolf thing. Neeks wanted me to try dressing up like a Native America Indian, sometimes flying circles around my head and whining like a child until I promised him that I would think about it. But what no one realized, was that today was going to be one of the worst days ever for practically the entire city- or that a new chapter in their story had begun; exposing secrets and making the lives of their superheroes even more difficult than before.

The worst thing about today, I felt, would most definitely be that Ladybug was stuck fighting off other people's fears that continued to morph into her own fears of Adrien Agreste and her friends- my friends- ridiculing her and hating her, that Chat was in much the same boat, fighting off his own fears that were of Ladybug laughing in his face and full on despising him, and that I was stuck facing down this disgusting, creepy black blob of an Akuma; hunched back, glowing red eyes and sharp, pointy teeth curled into a smirk, that was staring at me like I was his next meal, and he was going to savor every last bit of me, inside and out, that called himself the Oogie-Boogie Man.

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The day had started off like any other, with mom helping me get my hair more neat and tidy, with the added addition that she asked if I was willing to let her apply concealer under my eyes to cover just how bad my dark circles were getting, and heading to school a little later than normal. I talked to Nathanael and a few other kids in my class while waiting for Adrien and the others to arrive, not having talked to most of them in quite a while because of how busy I had become. Akuma attacks had started picking up again, and I was trying hard not to seem off even though I was getting pretty exhausted.

I've known since the first time I fought with the superheroes, that his power and my transformation were different than the others. Since a month ago, I've known that my power and transformation focused on the energy I could give him, and in turn, Wolven's transformation could be just as strong as the others, if not more so. That was why I could heal. Why my transformation didn't run out while the others did after five minutes from using their special abilities. Why my right eye was blue with a scar across it. It was a give and take relationship, and if you pushed the human body too far, too fast, then it would start to take its toll.

Truthfully, my mind was becoming muddled. I kept seeing _him_ , felt like I was being watched, and the burn and bubbling in my throat only grew as the day wore on. Neeks wanted to stop, wanted to slow down.  He wanted me to take a break from being a hero, and I agreed, if only because that look of terror, fear mixed with worry he wore settled itself so uncomfortably in my stomach I couldn't _not_ agree.

It was clear to me, as it has been for a while now, that the give and take for this relationship was not something Neeks enjoyed, either.

Curiosity bubbled its way up from the darkest corners of my mind, making me want to ask about his previous holders, what they were like, why they were special.

The darker thought of how he lost them stung itself into my tongue, so I kept my mouth firmly shut, as always, and continued on. I made a promise not to speak about it, so I wouldn't. I wasn't going to put Neeks through what so many had done to me. I wasn't going to invade, or remind him of the past.  If he wanted to share, he would.

Adrien's voice calling my name pulled me from those thoughts, and I turned to face him, seeing he was alone today. I flipped my notebook to a clean page and began to write, "Where's Nino?", showing it to him once I was finished.

"I think he's running late today. Are you okay though? You don't look so good." He tapped right under his eye, worry etching itself onto his handsome features. "You, um, you have really bad dark circles, and just don't look that good."

I gave him a bitter smile, writing my response.

"Is it really that easy to notice? I've already caused my mom enough worry this morning."

"I'm afraid so." He gave me an apologetic look and a forced smile returned full force with a sharp stab in my gut.

_Stop looking at me like you pity me  
He's not pitying you, idiot, he's worried_

The muddled, exhausted side of my brain and the logical side were at war, and I really just wanted to sleep and spend the next few days relaxing. No fighting, no Akuma, no, well, anything.

  
"Sorry, I just haven't been sleeping well at all these last few days. I'm exhausted." I wrote, and Adrien nodded, placing a hand on my shoulder, being careful not to let it fall too close to my neck. I shivered faintly, anyway, but not from fear. The touch was so simple but so warm; it felt like home, and I could see just how much he cared in his eyes when I looked into them. It made my stomach feel like there were butterflies flying around inside it and I tried not to think about it.

But today was one of those days where my body and mind forced me to think about these things.

"I understand. Come on, we're early enough that if you wanted, we can go to the classroom and you can take a quick nap. I'll wake you up just before the bell rings."

I smiled, this one a true smile even if it was exhausted, "That would be great, thank you, but.... I'll be okay. I want to be with you and the others more than I want to sleep. I'll just take a nap when I get home."

Adrien took his time reading what I had written, his eyes going to the paper then me often. He didn't look too comfortable with the idea, but he nodded nonetheless. He gave my shoulder a gentle squeeze and turned so we were heading to the classroom. "Okay, but we are at least going to sit and wait in the classroom. You can sit in Marinette's seat until the bell, since she'll probably end up being late."

"Okay but if she comes earlier than all of us expect she will, then I'm giving her seat back."

"Alright, if that's what I have to allow to get you to sit and rest for ten minutes, then I'll allow it." I smiled and attempted a breezy laugh as Adrien chuckled, nodding.

We walked into the classroom, and the moment I was sitting in Marinette's seat and rested my head on the desk, I slipped into unconsciousness.  
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Further into the day, after classes and a two hour long nap on my part, Adrien, Marinette, Alya, Nino and I were all out in the park enjoying the remaining sunshine and the nice weather before the large gray clouds in the distance that promised rain managed to make their way to our small little section of Paris along with night. We were all sitting on a large picnic blanket Marinette had brought, and were sitting in a circle; with me between Adrien and Marinette. I could feel the small daggers Marinette gave me when she thought Adrein and I both weren't looking, and more than once heard Alya whisper for her to stop while most likely elbowing her. On any normal day I would have ignored it with ease- even laughed to myself about it because _wow_ is she obvious over her crush for the boy, but today was no normal day and it was frankly making me uncomfortable.

I was listening to Adrien talk about some new anime show he had started recently, nodding every now and then to show I was listening and smiling slightly. Adrien looked so happy as he talked about it, it was infectious. Nino was listening to Adrien as well, adding his own comments about the show here and there, and Marinette and Alya were talking quietly to themselves after the latest glare was interrupted, only for many really, really loud and terrified screams began to break out around us.

Alya's eyes lit up and she shot to her feet, the rest of us following a second later. "It's an Akuma attack!" She yelled above the screams that were getting closer at a rather alarming rate.

"What is it this time?" Nino asked warily, looking around like all the other park inhabitants as we all tried to find the source of the screams. I was looking and waiting for a chance to escape and transform, praying that I'd have enough energy to get through this fight. I could see Adrien looking for the exact same thing.

More people were beginning to scream and run, and my eyes widened when I saw what was causing the commotion. Many abnormally large spiders, snakes, scorpions, and other things, were flooding the park, some chasing after other people and shifting into other things, and in the center of the creatures stood a tall, black blob of.... Something.

It's back was hunched and it's head was in the shape of a vulture's skull with an extremely long beak similar to a hummingbird or a woodpecker. It's eyes were large, angry, and glowing blood red. The Akuma threw it's head back and cackled as it's body split into a new creature, it's wide beak splitting open to expose sharp, jagged teeth. The sky darkened drastically and thunder boomed overhead. I quickly tugged on Adrien's hand in warning when I saw it's eyes fall on the five of us and pitch black, dripping wings spread from it's back.

Adrien got the message, thankfully, and he shot into action. "Guys, we need to run. Now!"

The five of us darted from our spot, merging into the crowd of people who were running from the oversized creatures and their creator. I broke off from them in  the crowd easy enough, and watched as Adrien also broke away before I ran to a place to transform.

Neeks flew from my scarf and immediately activated the transformation, and when it was done, I rushed towards the Akuma.

"Come one, come all! Step right up, if you dare! Oogie-Boogie Man is here to show you your fear!" The Akuma cackled again; long, spindly and skeletal hands stretching from his sides. He landed with a ground shaking thud, and people screamed as the ground cracked and shook.

"Where be the Miraculous? Come and face me!" He created more of those small blobs, and as they took shape they went towards some of the people still in the park. I could feel my hair and fur bristle slightly from worry and even a little bit of anger. Why was he going after innocent bystanders

"Leave them alone!" I snarled, running and slicing one of the spider in half just before it moved to attack a small girl who looked like she was around five or six. "Find your mother and hurry home." I said to the girl behind me, who looked terrified. I slashed at the minion again as it began to reform, trying to keep it away from the girl. The girl nodded and ran towards a woman with long, wavy brown hair who bent down and picked her up when the girl went barreling into her arms before she went running out of the park after sending me a grateful look. I sighed in relief before I began to attack the other minions that were attacking other people in the park, letting them escape before focusing on the minions again.

After giving a boy around my age the chance to escape, I was unaware of a minion sneaking up behind me until I felt the snake coil around me and pin my arms to my sides. I cursed rather loudly in annoyance as Oogie-Boogie Man came strolling over. "Looky here, looky here! We caught ourselves a beast." He chuckled darkly, clawed fingers coming up to grip my chin so I couldn't look away from him. My nose crinkled in disgust and I growled, baring my teeth. This Akuma smelled like death, and I wanted away from him. I snapped at him when he leaned closer, making him jerk back with a laugh. "A fighter, are ya? Well we'll just have to change that..."

His beak split into a fang-filled grin, and I felt his hands moving up my face, felt his long fingers get closer to my eyes as he turned his head a little to the side to expose one of his glowing red eyes better. I snarled and leaned away the best I could from his hands, squeezing my eyes shut. Where were Ladybug and Chat Noir?!

"Wolven!"

I gasped as I suddenly felt nothing holding me in place, eyes flying open as I tumbled backwards onto the ground. The snake that had been constricting my movements was a pile of reforming black tar in front of me, and Chat Noir was fighting Oogie-Boogie Man. A hand covered in red and black popped into my field of vision and I looked up and to the left to see Ladybug holding her hand out to me. "You okay? Didn't hit your head, did you?"

"I'm okay. What took you guys so long to get here?" I asked, taking her hand in my own and letting her pull me to my feet.

"Uh, well, I as having a hard time finding a place to transform, and I guess Chat Noir was too." She said sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head. "You're doing a good job, though. I passed the stragglers and saw that all of them were unharmed!"

"Compliment him later,  Milady! I kind of need some assistance right now!" Chat grunted as he dodged a swipe of Oogie-Boogie's claws and Ladybug and I tensed in embarrassment.

"Sorry, Kitkat!"  
"My bad, Chaton!"

The two of us went over to where Chat was fighting, each taking on our own bundle of minions, which, thankfully, weren't growing from their already large number. Not too long after we rejoined the fight, though, did I hear Chat's baton clang onto the ground. I destroyed another minion and was turning to look and see what had happened when a body slammed to me and we both crashed to the ground. I groaned softly and when I blinked the spots from my vision, found that it was Chat Noir that was thrown into me. His hands were on either side of my head as he shook his own while he sat up, his legs slightly tangled with mine. The position we were in would have made me blush if not for the hurt, scared look in his eyes as he checked to make sure I was okay.

"What's wrong?" I asked quickly, grabbing his shoulders and pushing him back as I sat up so I didn't slam my forehead into his. He looked like he was about to answer when a feminine laugh stopped him. "See! I knew it! You're disgustingly weak!" I stared in shock at the person who had been laughing behind Chat Noir, Ladybug. She had a sneer on her face and looked at Chat Noir like he was gum stuck to the bottom of her shoe.

Anger flared in my chest and a snarl formed in my chest. "What the _fu_ -"

"It's not me!" A second Ladybug yelled, popping up from behind the one staring us down. The second one was fighting the minions and the curse disappeared from my lips as I quickly figured out what was going on, instead growling as Oogie-Boogie laughed and morphed back to his regular look, a minion breaking away from his body and morphing into Ladybug.

Chat Noir and I stood up, and when I was about to go after Oogie-Boogie, a yoyo wrapped around him and pulled him from us. "I'll handle him, you two focus on the little guys!" Ladybug shouted, and in the brief glimpse I got of her, she was really mad about Oogie-Boogie saying those things as her. I shivered slightly when I remembered her little threat when I first came her and the look she had given to me, even if it was a hallucination on my part, and knew I did not want to go against her right now.

I picked up Chat's baton and handed it to him, offering him a gentle smile as more minions began to take Ladybug's shape. "Ignore them. Don't listen to whatever the copy of Ladybug says. None of it is true." I said softly, ruffling his hair playfully.

"I know, but... It still hurts a bit." He murmured, before shaking his head and smiling his cocky grin at me. "Let's go!" I smiled, nodding and together we attacked the minions. I focused on the Ladybug minions to save Chat from getting too upset or frozen, and he took on the others so Ladybug had the chance to fight Oogie-Boogie.

Once again, a few minutes after this setup began, something unexpected happened. Ladybug let out a strangled cry and when Chat and I looked over, Oogie-Boogie had shifted into Adrien, then Alya, then Nino; each one saying something cruel and heartless to the superheroine. He grabbed her arm and tossed her to the side, and I groaned as another minion was created with Ladybug's fear as its new form.

"Don't look him in the eye!" Ladybug called as I decided to take her place since I was the only one he didn't know the fear of yet.

"Got it!" I said quickly as I slashed my claws at Oogie-Boogie. My claws clashed with his, a surprising clang resounding through the air. I growled lowly and quickly muttered, "Arcessere: Wolf!" under my breath as I jumped back, away from the Akuma.

Immediately I felt the change coursing through me as I picked the animal of my Kwami. I felt my teeth and actual nails grew sharper, my tail grew bushier, and my body automatically went down on all fours in a surprisingly comfortable position. My lips were pulled back in a snarl and I waited for him to make his move.


	20. TWO Enemies? Great. Just. Great.

As I circled the Akuma, I made sure not to look into his eyes. I already knew what my fear was, and I didn't need anyone else knowing what that was, nor did I need to relive that moment, thank you very much.

Oogie-Boogie was watching me with a predatory hunger, and I could feel his gaze burning holes into me. I snarled, digging my fingers into the ground and getting ready to pounce. He moved faster than me, though, his wings spreading and he flew towards me. I launched myself to the left of him, dodging his body slam and quickly turning and running to attack him. I dug my claws into his body, nearly gagging at the smell he gave off but hanging on nonetheless. I raked my claws through the tar like substance, trying to find anything that could have been the akumatized item.

Oogie-Boogie bucked as he started screeching in what I assumed might have been pain. It was completely inhuman, sounding more like a dying animal or some sort of Halloween ghoul than anything. He tried to grab me, but all he was managing to do was cut or nick me, his clawed nails not quite long enough to grab me when he kept squirming. I growled, shoving my hand through the tar to see if maybe it was hidden inside. His screeching grew louder and I felt his claws dig into my shoulders, yanking me from his back and throwing me to the ground in front of him.

I struggled against his hold as he held me down, feeling blood trail down my arms from where his claws dug in. I looked everywhere but his face.

He let out a deep chuckle, grin returning to his face as his lips parted, blood red saliva dripping onto my cheeks. "Too easy, little beast. Too easy. I could take your miraculous, right here, right now." He slowly let go with one of his hands, one long, slender claw slipping under the chain that held my pendants and giving a light tug.

"Don't touch it!" I snarled, my words coming out more animalistic than normal due to the transformation.

Oogie-Boogie chuckled again, letting go of the chain and bringing his face closer to me. His breath stunk just as much as his body did, and it was hot against my cheek. "But of course, that would be _much_ to _easy_ , wouldn't it?" He said darkly, one claw running across my cheek and making a clean cut across it. I squeezed my eyes shut, refusing to look at him as I tried to break from his hold. "Come now, little miraculous holder- show me your fear! You can't hide it from me forever!"

"Wanna bet?!" I snarled, lurching up to try and break from his hold. He held on tight, though, and I whimpered in pain as I felt his claws dig into my shoulders. It went on like that for a few minutes, his claws digging in further each time. I was starting to grow tired, and a second beep from my miraculous rang out about the fighting. I groaned in annoyance and frustration, lifting a hand up the best I could and slashing at the male in an attempt to free myself.

He screeched in pain and I felt his presence move away from me, making me grin and open my eyes. Only to scream in surprise when Oogie-Boogie's eyes were still only a few inches from my own. I cursed in my head and went to close my eyes again but it was too late, he was already transforming into what I feared most.

Oogie-Boogie took on a more human shape, his eyes were brown and slanted, his hair short and brown. His skin was pale and he held a bottle of Hydrochloric acid in one hand, the other still gripping my shoulder painfully tight. I whimpered and froze, throat closing up instinctively as an manic smile took over his features.

"Well, well~ isn't this a wonderful fear!" He laughed darkly, moving to straddle my waist to keep my hands pinned down as he started to unscrew the cap of the acid. I could feel my lungs start to burn and felt tears starting to prick my eyes as I felt my breathing pick up.

"No. No no no. Nononono! Get off me!" I screamed bloody murder, bucking up to try and get him off me. I choked on air as he growled and slammed his hand into my throat, pinning me to the ground. My lips were parted, trying to heave air into my lungs through my panic. I couldn't tear my eyes away from the bottle he was slowly lowering to my lips, and I could feel how my tail curled between my legs like it did when dogs were scared, tickling my stomach.

Chat Noir glanced over and his eyes widened in shock. "Wolven!"

"Help! Get him off me! Get him off me, please!"

A yoyo wrapped around Oogie-Boogie's arms and pulled them back, giving me a chance to move again. I managed to free one of my hands in my struggle, and I swiped my nails- still sharpened to claws- across his face, creating four long scratch marks that began to bleed black. Oogie-Boogie growled in annoyance, the cuts healing almost immediately as Chat Noir practically came flying in to pull me away from under him. I pressed my face into his chest, shaking violently in his arms as he held me close to his body.

He started rubbing my back and helped me stand up on shaking legs, softly murmuring words of comfort to me. I wished it would work but I couldn't tear my eyes away from the man that Oogie-Boogie had morphed into, unable to calm down and barely able to hear Chat Noir's words. I was panting heavily as Neeks tried to calm me through our connection. I had a hand against my throat and the other wrapped around my middle, feeling a pain in my stomach I hadn't felt in years. The tears that had been streaming down my face when I was pinned were already starting to slow, but still showed no signs of stopping soon. Chat Noir saw where my eyes were locked and he carefully put his hand over my eyes, causing me to whimper.  I felt him pull me back against his chest, felt his warmth through the layers of clothing we wore. Smelled that scent that was unmistakably Adrien.

"Just focus on me and breathe, Wolven. Just focus and breathe." I whimpered in acknowledgement, trying to focus only on Chat's presence and how to breathe properly. "Here, I'm going to take your hand away from your throat, alright?" I nodded slightly, more like a small jerk than anything, and I felt Chat's hand wrap around my own, pulling it away from my neck carefully. He slowly lowered it to my side, and soon the calm that Neeks was trying to give me and the feeling of warmth surrounding me took over, making me relax enough to be able to focus again.

"Chat....? You, um, you can remove your hand now... I'll be okay for now." I said softly, moving my hands up to the one over my eyes. He did as I asked, removing his hand and sighing softly.

"Think you can keep fighting?" He asked softly, looking worried as I tilted my head back to look at his face. I nodded, slashing a fear apart when it came too close to us.

I took a deep breath and shook my head, trying to get myself to focus. I could do this. I can fight him. It's not really him, it's just a fake. I steeled myself before going in to attack, slashing at him. Oogie-Boogie let my claws slice through his form as he laughed darkly, leaning down to speak into my ear.

"Tattle-tales should lose their ability to tattle, don't you think?" He whispered, making me freeze in place while he lifted his hand, the cuts across his chest turning back into skin from the black tar they had been. His brown eyes were glowing red around the edges as he trapped my jaw in his hands and forced it open, his other hand bringing the uncapped bottle of acid closer and closer. My eyes widened and I whimpered, trying to pull away from him and close my mouth.

He began tipping the bottle when a yoyo wrapped around his arm and yanked it back, and Chat Noir used his baton to knock away the bottle, which turned into a puddle of black tar when it was knocked far enough away. Oogie-Boogie let go of me in shock, and I scrambled away again, panting slightly as I tried to focus on the fight and trying to stay calm.

Small tremors still ran through my body, and I shook my head again. "Focus! Focus, dang it!" I muttered to myself, destroying a few of the fears as I did. "Just find the akuma's hiding place!"

I steeled myself for another clash with Oogie-Boogie and ran to him, shoving my hand into his chest. The inhuman screech was back, louder this time, and it caused my ears to ring. I felt my hand enclose around something slightly smaller than my hand, with something engraved in the center. I began to pull it out as quickly as I could with the tar trying to reform around my hand, my nose crinkling in disgust.

"No! You can't take that, little beast! Leave it alone!" Oogie-Boogie screeched, claws digging into my arm and creating long cuts on it as I pulled out my hand. A small, fake gravestone from one of those Halloween stores that opened yearly was encased tightly in my hand, with the words "Bea A. Fraid 1831-1871" carved into it's intricate design, a crack spreading down from the left corner to spread throughout the 1871. He screeched even more, turning back into his original form, his eyes turning even angrier. "Give that back!"

I breathed out a faint laugh and smirked at the Akuma, shaking my head. "Hm.... Nope!" I said, much more confident and relaxed now that he was back to normal. I jumped back when I was slashed at, and looked at Ladybug. "Ladybug! Here, it's his Akuma!" She smiled gratefully and nodded, holding up a hand.

"Throw it over!" She called, so I did as asked and threw  it to her, dodging another attack from Oogie-Boogie as she quickly broke the gravestone in half. Oogie-Boogie yowled in pain, causing the three of us to cover our ears with our hands from the sheer loudness and frequency of it. To our confusion, no butterfly came from the gravestone, and Oogie-Boogie melted into a puddle of tar along with all his fear minions, and I stared in horror at where he had been.

"I-I didn't kill him, did I....?" I asked weakly as we removed our hands, my body shaking again at the thought of having killed someone even though our abilities weren't created to do that. Chat Noir looked at me worriedly before he looked back at the tar puddles, his own fake ears drooping as he spoke, "No, you couldn't have.... There should have been a butterfly... Right?" He looked over at Ladybug, who looked just as lost.

"I-I think so- this hasn't happened before! There has always been a butterfly, and the person always turns back to normal!"

"Then what happened?! What happened to Oogie-Boogie?!" I snapped, my nerves frayed and cut short by the evening. Lightning flashed and thunder boomed overhead as rain began to pour over the city, washing away the tar and plunging the city into near darkness. I couldn't tear my eyes away.

Another flash of lightning, and a dark, feminine chuckle resounded with the thunder, snatching my attention as the three of us looked around for the source.

"You are the defenders of Paris? _Children_? I cannot believe Hawkmoth is struggling!" The voice laughed, and Chat gasped softly.

"There! On top of the carousel!"

I turned my attention to the carousel, immediately spotting the silhouette of a woman standing on top of it. I couldn't make out much, but her eyes were glowing an eerie green.

"Who are you?" Ladybug asked, getting into a fighting position. My miraculous beeped a third time, and I could feel apprehension starting to leak into my mind from Neeks.

"That, little girl, is something you three are not ready to learn just yet." I could practically hear the smirk on her face as she spoke, and Ladybug growled in annoyance. "Just know that Hawkmoth isn't your only enemy this time around."

The woman's eyes slid over to me, and I tensed. Neeks' apprehension grew, and I fought back the instincts telling me to run far, far away. She bowed at the waist as she looked at me, speaking as she did. "Wolven- no, _Neeks_ , my dear, it has been _far_ too long." I gripped my head and bit back a cry of pain as Neeks suddenly panicked, his fear bursting forth and completely unlike him.

My miraculous beeped again, much louder and more urgent this time. The lady laughed loudly, and as the next flash of lightning streaked across the sky, she was gone.

**_There is one more Halloween chapter after this (the actual day of Halloween) but I don't know if I'll be able to get it up by the end of the day. I will try!_ **

**_This new villain is special, just recently created (seriously, she was not part of the plot until an hour ago while writing this) so sorry if it seems sudden! I just got a really good idea and it would make the story more interesting than just the kids fighting Hawkmoth so I hope you guys aren't too mad about the new addition! Sorry about the spontaneity of it though._ **


	21. All Hallow's Eve Nightmare

"Who was that?!" Ladybug snapped, eyes furious as she stomped her way over to me. I flinched on reflex, body shaking as all sense of calm seeped away from my body now that Neeks seemed to be panicking too. The cold rain soaking through my clothes wasn't helping any.

"I-I don't know!" I shouted, sitting on the wet ground and placing my hands over my stomach to try a curb the nausea I was feeling from two peoples worth of panic. Ladybug began shouting again, but all I could hear was noise, her words dulled. I think it was something about how she seemed to know me. Chat Noir placed a hand on my head, scratching between my ears, and I leaned towards his touch. He was calmer than the rest of us, and I welcomed the feeling, needing it to seep into my bones instead of the overwhelming panic that was causing my heart to pound painfully in my chest and my stomach to burn and become nauseating like it had three years ago with the acid.

"He doesn't know her." Chat Noir stated calmly, cutting Ladybug's frantic yelling off. "She mentioned his Kwami, maybe she was a previous holder of his miraculous."

I shook my head and tilted it back to look at Chat Noir and Ladybug, blinking rain from my eyes. "No... No, she wasn't.... I think she might be the enemy previous Wolven's faced over in America." I murmured as the final beep resounded, and Ladybug tensed. "Wolven, you need to leave before you turn back! You don't have more than a few minutes!" She said quickly, suddenly panicked. I think her nerves were just as shot as mine.

I nodded and stood up slowly, trying to control my shaking and trying to get Neeks to hold the transformation just a little bit longer. Next thing I know, I'm being lifted off my feet, causing my to let out a panicked cry.

"Hey, it's okay. It's just me. I'll help you to a place you can transform." Chat Noir said softly, his hold on me gentle but firm. I stared at him for a moment before nodding again and he smiled, waving and jokingly blowing a kiss to Ladybug before heading away from the park. "Okay, so, tell me where I'm going."

"You can drop me off by Tom and Sabine's... I live close to there." I said softly, letting myself relax in his hold from exhaustion.

"Got it... Hey, will you be okay? You've been getting wailed on tonight, and you didn't look so good when Ladybug  started yelling at you."

"I'll be okay, Chat.... I just think I'll take a break for a few days and then I'll be back." I said softly, resting my head on his shoulder.

"Alright," Chat sighed, "Get some rest and make sure you don't stay out in this downpour for too long. It won't do you any good to get sick." As if to make his point, I ended up letting out a soft sneeze, covering my nose and mouth with my arm. He let out a small chuckle of sympathy and smiled down at me. "See?"

I groaned softly and buried my head in his shoulder. "Gods and Goddesses, I did not want this day to go this way. It had been going so well for a while, too!" I whined like a small child. Chat laughed again and nodded. "Yeah, I can understand that pretty well."

"....Sorry you have to carry me."

"It's no problem. I rather like carrying Paris' little prince of wolves like a princess." He gave me a cheeky smile as my face flared, and I hid my face again with another groan.

"What a knight in shining armor you are." I said, a little sarcastically even though I meant it in a good way. Chat Noir just grinned and laughed again before finding me a place to transform back close to my home. He made sure I was steady on my feet and out of the rain before finally taking a few steps back and bowing at the waist.

"Here is where I must leave you. I trust you can get home safe from here?"

I nodded, crossing my arms loosely over my chest. I gave him a gentle smile as he straightened up. "Thanks, Kitkat. Tell Ladybug I wish you guys a happy Halloween, and I'll see you in a few days." He smiled and nodded.

"You got it." He saluted and turned away, heading back to his own home. The moment he was gone, I leaned back against the wall and caught Neeks as he fell from my necklace. He looked just as worn out as I did, so I quickly put him in my jacket pocket full of candy, feeling him shuffle around before beginning to eat.

I reached into my other pocket and pulled out my phone, seeing that I missed a ton of texts from Alya, Nino, and my mom. I texted my mom and asked for her to come and get me, telling her where I was. I didn't want to walk home, I just wanted to sleep. I carefully slid down the wall I was against, curling up and pulling my legs close to me. Mom said she'd be here in five minutes, so now all I had to do was wait.

As I listened to the steady sound of the rain flooding the awning I was under, Neeks spoke up. "I'm sorry, Jasper... This is all my fault..." He said sadly, his voice shaking. I sighed heavily and put a hand in my pocket, petting him gently. It wasn't his fault, no matter how much he felt it was.

When mom finally got there, she came rushing over, hugging me tightly and pulling me as close as she could. She was warm and safe, and after today I really needed it. I could feel tears pricking my eyes already as I hugged her back tightly, pressing close to her and burying my head in her shoulder.

"What are you doing out here, baby? Alya and Nino came over an hour ago panicking about how they couldn't find you, and you weren't answering your phone!" I sniffed softly and rubbed at my eyes before quickly typing out my response and moving away from her so I could show her what I wrote, trying to keep my hand steady.

"I ran into the minions from the akumatized man. Mom, they showed me him. They transformed into- into him."

Mom gasped, eyes filling with tears as she hugged me tighter. "Oh, Jaspie... Jaspie, it's okay. He's gone now." She said softly, one hand wrapped around me and the other petting my hair. "Let's get you home where it's nice and warm, okay?" She said softly, kissing the top of my head and wrapping the jacket she brought around me.

I nodded and held her hand as she led me the short distance to the car, getting into the back seat and immediately laying down. Mom got in the front and drove us back home, with me falling asleep in the back seat.

\---------

This morning marked my first Halloween here in Paris, and I was looking forward to seeing everyone in costumes at school. Nathanael had said he would dress up as his akumatized version of himself, but with certain differences to give people comfort that he wasn't actually akumatized again. I was excited to see what he had looked like.

Marinette had said her costume was a surprise, Alya said she would be Ladybug- of course, Nino wasn't sure what'd he do, so I guess I'll see when I get to school, and Adrien said that he would dress up as either a knight or a prince of hearts. I smiled at the thought of him in either costume, remembering the conversation from the night before. Then I wondered who'd he sweep of their feet first; Ladybug or Marinette. A small part of me felt hopeful that, maybe, it would be me or my superhero form.

Neeks whined softly, his ears drooping as I changed into black skinny jeans, a blood red button up with a high collar, black vest, and a torn up cape with chains for the clasps. "Jasper....! You said you'd dress up as a Native American for me...!" I added some jewelry here and there and some really high quality fake fangs my mom got me for my birthday that actually made it look like I had fangs, giving him an apologetic look.

"Next year, buddy. Next year." I wrote in my notebook, which only caused him to pout even more. "If I let you transform me into Wolven, I'd gladly let you change the outfit to what you want." I added, showing him the note for a minute before tearing that page out, crumpling it, and throwing it in my trash. Neeks sighed and flew over, burying himself under my cape. "Fine, but Wolven is going to have to wait for some other time. Your body needs to rest for a few days."

I nodded and walked out of my room after brushing my hair and putting on some black boots. Mom was already waiting by the bathroom, holding up a makeup kit. "Alright, Jasper. Come here and let's get you all vampired up!" I smiled and nodded, rushing over to her and following her into the bathroom. Personally, I rather enjoyed letting mom do my makeup sometimes, even if it was normally just concealer. I thought it was fun, and she always managed to make me look good while adding her own artistic flare to it.

I sat on the toilet seat as mom opened her kit while humming _This is Halloween_ and closed my eyes, letting her do what she liked.

I stayed as still as I could, letting her apply a little concealer under my eyes and on a few areas that needed it. "Do you want me to cover the scars that are visible?" She asked softly, and after a moment I shook my head. May as well have some sense of realism to the vampire. I could almost hear the smile in her voice as she replied in that soft voice she always got in the serenity of these sessions, "Alright."

We fell back into silence as she finished adding concealer, and I listened to the rustling of the products as she put the concealer back and started preparing the eyeshadow. "Okay... Judging by the outfit, you want black and red?" I nodded again and she laughed softly. "Got it. I'm about to touch the underside of your chin, okay?"

A few brief moments later I felt her fingers gently tilt my chin up as a brush ran across my eyelids, and mom began humming again. She soon set the brush down and she hummed in thought. "Open your eyes, but don't look in the mirror. I want you to see the final result, and only the final result."

I did as asked, opening my eyes and blinking at the brightness. Mom rested her chin on her hand and crossed her arm over her chest, tapping her waist in thought. "Okay, good. Close your eyes again, please." I closed my eyes, and a few minutes later felt cold liquid on my eyelid, slowly running across the edge and flaring into a wing when it reached the corner of my eye. She did the same to the other eye before telling me to open my eyes again, then she ran the eyeliner carefully under my eyes to accentuate them more. I closed them again and she filled in the wings, before starting to draw what felt like little bats along the corners of my eyes.  Mom giggled excitedly and I couldn't help but smile a little as well, excited to see what it looked like.

"Pucker your lips a little, I want to give you a little lip-stain to make your lips red." I did as told, and after she added a small amount of lip-stain she took another eyeliner and drew blood coming from the corner of my lips. "Open your eyes and give me a big grin!" I opened my eyes, smiling widely at her to show off my fangs. Mom looked so excited and proud of her makeup job, letting out a soft squeal.

"Oh, look at my handsome, beautiful little vampire! You'll knock everyone off their feet!" I laughed silently and rolled my eyes playfully, looking in the mirror to see what mom had done. I held back a surprised gasp, not sure what I had expected, but definitely not what she had done.

The black eyeshadow spread only slightly above my eye socket, giving my eyes a sunken look as little bits of dark red eyeshadow blended in and covered my eyelid along with the black. Black eyeliner formed most of the wings on my eyes, the bottom red and meeting the black with uniform ease. Small and big bats seemed to fly around the winged eyeliner look, and my lips had just enough red added to them to look like I had drunk from someone a while ago, the red eyeliner making another appearance from the left corner of my lips down to a little under halfway to my chin, looking like blood was dripping down and dried. Somehow, mom had managed to give it an almost feminine look without taking away whatever masculinity I had.

I smiled again, showing off the fangs, before launching myself at my mom, hugging her tightly in thanks. She laughed and hugged me back. "You look amazing, sweetie. Adrien will have a hard time looking away!" I blushed and lightly hit her arm, making her laugh even more. "Oh, come on! I know you can't wait to see him!" She cooed, laughing again as my cheeks grew even redder.

"Okay, I'll stop. Now let's get some food in you then off you go to school! Take lots of pictures of everyone's costumes, alright! I want to see them!" She gently pushed me from the bathroom, and I followed her to the kitchen to help her make breakfast. "What do you think would be good? I'm thinking eggs and bacon, but we can make whatever you want. I pulled out my notebook and quickly wrote my reply, "Eggs and bacon sounds wonderful. I'll make the eggs."

Mom nodded, smiling. "Got it. I'll start on the bacon then."

\----------

When I got to school after my mom took my picture, Chloe was just arriving in that big limousine of hers, dressed up as Belle from Beauty and the Beast and Sabrina dressed up as a bunny rabbit. I frowned slightly, feeling like Chloe did not to the princess justice, but went on my way without giving them a second glance.

I spotted Rose and Juleka dressed as an angel and a fallen angel, respectively, and went over to them to ask if I could take their picture. The girls gasped and Rose cooed, placing her hands on her cheeks when they saw me. "Jasper! You look amazing! So alluring!" She complimented, making me smile and blush. "Oh, and you even have fangs!"

"You look awesome, Jasper! Where did you get the fangs?" Juleka asked, not as shy as she normally would be. I think it was because she warmed up to me, but I could be wrong. Maybe she was just comfortable around me.

I quickly typed up my response on my phone since I had it in my hands, "My mom got them for my birthday this summer, at some custom costume shop or something. I'm sure there is a place similar to it somewhere in France. Also, would it be alright if I took your picture? My mom wants photos of everyone's costumes."

After letting them read the rather long message, I lowered my phone while waiting for their response. Juleka seemed unsure but Rose convinced her after a moment, which made the gothic girl smile. I smiled as well, thinking she had a very pretty smile, and took a few steps back as they posed for me, holding my phone up steadily and taking a few different pictures. All of them turned out well except for one, where an unsuspecting student passed by in the middle of the photo. I showed them to the girls, who looked excited and asked for the best one of the bunch once I got them on a computer to print them. I gave them a thumbs up and Rose clapped in excitement, before asking to take my picture.

This was how the morning went on, with me walking up to people and taking their pictures, then them taking my picture in return. It was beginning to reach the time Adrien would be coming when I heard someone shout my name excitedly, which made me turn around. I yelped weakly when a tanned Ladybug came slamming into me, hugging me tightly. "You look _amazing_!" Alya screeched, stepping back and quickly taking photos of me. I smiled for her and she laughed softly, bouncing in place. She was dressed in a surprisingly well made Ladybug costume, her Ombré hair pulled into low pigtails and cascading over her shoulders. She had a small pouch around her waist in the shape of Ladybug's yoyo, and I had a feeling that was where she was keeping her phone for the day.

"The others are going to _flip_ when they see you! I think you just might steal Adrien and Chloe's thunder!" I blushed and quickly shook my head, crossing my arms in front of me in a giant X. There was no way I was stealing Adrien' thunder, and Chloe's? Well, she's been giving me the stink eye ever since I went up to Sabrina, Kim, and her for a picture. I think she _knew_ I stole her thunder even with her fancy-schmancy dress and professional hairdo and makeup.

"Seriously, Jasper! You have been the talk of the school since you walked in here, apparently! Rose showed me the picture she took of you the moment I came in!"

She took my wrist gently in her hand and pulled me towards the entrance of the school where Nino was, dressed up as a zombie. "Nino, Nino! Look at Jasper!"

Nino turned at the sound of Alya's voice and he let out a whistle, grinning. "Dang, Jasper! You really went all out! The makeup is pretty awesome, too!"

"Thank you," I typed on my phone, "My mom did it for me. You guys look amazing, too."

Nino laughed and shrugged, looking down at himself."I mean, all I really did was shred some clothes and do a little movie makeup. You and Adrien are going to outshine me, easily."

Nino was wearing a plain white long sleeve shirt with a few large holes in the sleeves along with the ends having been shredded, his pants in the same condition. He had those kind of gory fake wounds from a Halloween shop expertly placed on his skin, making it look like he had been bitten in multiple places by a zombie, and eyeshadow was around his eyes to make them look sunken, much like mine. He had fake blood splattered on his clothes, along with dirt streaks.

"I think it looks very well done! You certainly look like a zombie to me!" I typed, showing him and making him laugh.

"Alright, I guess I can't argue with that."

"Good. Now go pose with Alya so I can take some pictures." I shoved him playfully closer to Alya, who just laughed and smiled. She took out a yoyo that mimicked Ladybug's and she worked with Nino to wrap it around him a few times so it look like she had captured him, getting into a pose as Nino proceeded to act like a zombie in his confinement. I took a few pictures of them like that and watched as Nino spun around a few times to be free of the yoyo strings before slinging his arm over Alya's shoulders, both of them grinning and giving me peace signs as I took another photo.

The moment I finished taking the picture I saw a car pull up from the corner of my eye, and smiled when Adrien got out. He was dressed in regal clothing, but not the kind you'd see on a king or Prince. This was what you would see on a knight. He was wearing black and gold clothing, his pants slightly baggy but snug, his shirt had a high collar, nearly reaching his ears, and had gold stripes and accents along the buttons, collar, and sleeves, forming simple patterns along the single buckle that rested across his upper arms. He had on a long black coat that almost reached his ankles, gold stripes along the outer edges and around his waist as a belt. The inside of the coat was a rich, dark purple, and his chest, shoulders, and feet were covered in light, fake armor. He had a realistic- but fake, as he had assured everyone the day before- sword strapped to his waist. Basically, he looked astounding, and I was finding it difficult to looks away.

I could feel heat creeping up my neck to my cheeks as I remembered the conversation the night before, my mind creating an image of Adrien in that outfit and holding onto Wolven just like he had the night before. I quickly shook my head when Adrien called out to us and began walking over, forcing the image from my brain. I must be a lot more tired than I thought if I was becoming Marinette-level of fantasizing.

"Hey guys! Happy Halloween!" He said excitedly, his eyes looking over everyone's costumes. His eyes widened when he landed on my and this time I blushed from embarrassment, biting my lip and exposing one of my fangs. I waved shyly, and his quickly looked away, his own blush creeping up on his cheeks. Alya and Nino, who saw the interaction, both laughed and grinned Cheshire Cat grins before beginning to compliment Adrien.

"Adrien, you look amazing! You actually look like a knight!" Alya nearly screamed, clearly excited as she took pictures of him as well.

"You look good in black and gold! I bet the girls are all going to faint when they see you, alone!"

"If not, then it'll probably be when they see you and Jasper together! Seriously, you guys look perfect together!" Alya smiled and pushed me closer to Adrien so she can take more pictures, only making me blush more as Adrien wrapped his arm around my waist to steady me from how harsh her shove had been. "A vampire prince and his dark knight!" She teased, making the two of us blush right as she took the picture.

"Alya!" Adrien reprimanded lightly, making her and Nino laugh. I was curious as to why Alya was teasing us so much when she obviously supported Marinette and her crush on Adrien, but I wasn't going to question it too much. Maybe she just wanted to support everyone no matter what, or thought it was fun.

Speaking of Marinette, was she really going to be late today? I wanted to see her costume before class started. I stepped away from Adrien when Alya was done taking photos and pulled up the question I had been asking all morning, "Can I take your photo?"

Adrien smiled and nodded. "Of course. Is there a pose you want me in?" I shook my head and motioned for him to do whatever he liked. He posed for me after a moment, definitely showing that he was a model without even realizing it, and I took a few photos before giving him a thumbs up to tell him I was done.

He came over to look at the photos and smiled as he looked at them, before I went to the page I had been writing on and typing, "You look amazing. You really are a knight in shining armor." I laughed scratchily, coughing slightly afterwards, when he blushed a little again. "Be wary of Chloe," I warned, "She's dressed as Belle and might take you for her prince."

Adrien laughed weakly, clearly not excited by that idea. Chloe really managed to make him uncomfortable, even if they had been friends before. "Thanks for the warning, but there is no way I'm escaping her when she'll see me in class."

"True, but now you have time to prepare."

Adrien nodded, stepping back from my personal space now that he didn't need to read my phone. He smiled a little and held out his own phone. "May I take a picture of you? I think you look great and I think father would want to see it, too." I nodded and he stepped back, taking a picture of me as I smiled at him. We all looked up as the bell rang and began to head to the classroom, Alya sighing in disappointment.

"Man, where is that girl? She _promised_ she'd get here before school started!"

"Don't worry, Alya. She'll be here before the hour's over!" Nino consoled, patting her shoulder gently, a soft smile on his face.

When lunch rolled around, Marinette had indeed decided to make an appearance and we were all eating off to the side of the school's lobby-gym-thing. I still have no idea what it is, honestly. Marinette had made her own costume, and it was Musa from Winx Club- back when she had short hair and the pinkish-red outfit. I clapped now that it wasn't the middle of class, amazed at how much detail was on the outfit and liking how well she fit the look. She smiled and thanked me before I took her picture, then blushed darkly and stutter as Adrien- in his admittedly smoking hot knight glory- gave her a compliment as well. Alya rolled her eyes and playfully shoved Marinette's shoulder, reminder her to eat her lunch before drooling over Adrien.

In total, we had had three Chloe interruptions, one because she was upset I was stealing her spotlight, and Adrien, then the other two were her trying to convince Adrien he was her knight in shining armor and he should play the part. That included clinging to his arm, draping across his lap dramatically, trying to kiss him, and other personal space no-no's that she completely ignored. On multiply occasions Nino and Alya had to pry her off while Marinette glared and I comforted Adrien, giving Chloe a disapproving look and silently hissing at her a few times. Those actually managed to scare her enough to leave for a while, which always gave us a good laugh.

Nino and Alya had yet to breach the topic of where I had gone the night before, but I was grateful they hadn't, and at this point, guessed that they weren't going to. I think Mom had probably called them and explained the situation to them once I had fallen asleep.

"Everyone has such amazing costumes this year! They all look so creative and well thought out!" Marinette commented as we watched everyone in the area converse with their own friend groups. I nodded, smiling slightly as I ate my sandwich. Mom wasn't painting today, so I could trust her to remember to eat today and stay at school with the others.

"It is rather great. I thought it was creative for some of the people to go as their akumatized forms! With their own little twists of course." Alya stated, waving her phone around, where she had plenty of photos of people in costumes. "Adrien, Jasper, Marinette, you guys don't mind if I write about your costumes on the school blog, do you?"

"Not at all." I wrote, waving my hand a little dismissively. Adrien replied the same with a small shrug. A few minutes later the bell to go to class rang, and we went off to class.

I would tell all of you about the rest of my day, but nothing else super interesting happened at school or at home. Halloween had passed in a blur of classes and photos, and by the time I was able to finally sleep, I was exhausted. I thought I would be able to sleep with no problem.

\---------

_The silhouette of a man towered above me, his expression unreadable as he stalked towards me, a vodka bottle held loosely in one hand and a bottle of Hydrochloric acid in the other. Everything was black and white. Why was it black and white?_

_  
**"You disgust me. You think you have the right to talk back to me you Albino freak? It's your fault I lost my job!"** _

_  
I felt tears of fear start to drip down, and I began to beg him to stop and think about what he was doing as I was slowly being pushed back into the farthest wall. I looked down the hall, hoping someone would come down it and save me._

__  
My back hit the wall, and my heart lodged itself in my throat. **"Wait, P-Papa, I-I didn't tell them anything, I swe-!"**  


_My head jerked to the side, warm metal flooding over my tastebuds from biting my tongue. My head hurt. The bottle was heavy when it hit me. I swallowed and spit out leftover blood; heavy, terrified pants escaping me as I desperately looked for something to protect myself with._

_  
There was nothing. Nothing, nothing, nothing, why isn't there something?_

_**  
"Shut the hell up! That damn mouth of yours, always running!"** He was closer, so much closer. The alcohol was heavy on his breath and his eyes were nearly glowing from the malice inside them as they bore into me. His lips were curled in a snarl. My entire body was shaking, I felt like I was suffocating, and my voice cracked as I spoke again, desperate to tell him; to save myself._

_  
**"I didn't tell them anything! I never got in contact with your company!"** _

_  
A loud shatter, burning and warm blood trailing down, mixing with tears, a strong scent of vodka. He had thrown the bottle and it exploded once it hit the wall, glass flying everywhere. My cheek and the corner of my eye were cut, I could feel the glass embedded faintly in my shoulder. I whimpered._

_  
**"Don't lie to me, boy! You were the only one who knew about that!"** _

_  
Suddenly, the snarl disappeared and a sick smirk replaced it. Fear prickled even further into my skin, and I pressed against the wall to try and escape, having no where else to go. My legs no longer worked._

_  
**"I think the only punishment fitting that of a tattle-tail is they lose their ability to tattle, don't you?"** _

_  
Faster than I could react, his hand constricted itself around my throat, slowly crushing my windpipe. He uncapped the bottle of acid. I gripped his wrist, weakly trying to pull his hand away._

_  
**"N-No, P-Papa...! P-Please, I didn't.... D-didn't-"** _

_  
He brought the bottle close to my lips, his grip only slackening enough to pour the acid down my throat. I could feel the fizz of it as it went down. I couldn't gather the air needed to scream. He gripped my throat tighter, and I coughed, choking from lack of air and the acid. My vision began to go black at the edges, I heard shouting from further away. My throat was on fire, and it quickly spread to my stomach. I gagged weakly, feeling the need to throw up but losing strength to even try. His gaze was harsh; eyes lit with an icy fire that chilled me to the bone, his brow furrowed in both madness and contempt, lips pressed in a firm line until the very edges quirked up. More black, everything was fading. My insides were burning. It felt like everything was dissolving._

_  
Someone screamed._

_  
He dropped me._

__  
**"JASPer...!"**  
\------------  
My eyes shot open but I couldn't see. I felt suffocated, thrashing wildly as I tried to get whatever it was on top of me off. I rolled, felt nothing for a moment, before feeling the cold ground accompanied by a loud THUD!

I scratched at my throat, feeling the burn of phantom pain and scars as I silently screamed and sobbed. I could blearily see Neeks through the darkness, hear his worried voice as he tried to touch me and comfort me. "Jasper, Jasper, breathe. It's okay..." His voice was murky, it sounded like I was underwater. I was dizzy, but no matter how hard I tried I couldn't catch my breath.

"You're safe, Jasper..." Neeks said softly, nudging my shoulder. I shook my head, clutching my throat tight enough I was leaving my own bruises. I needed mom. She wasn't here. She had gone out for the night. I can't breathe. Can't breathe can't breathe can't breathe.

I felt the transformation before I saw it, and suddenly my sobs and gasps were louder and less pained, the pain in my throat lessened only slightly. I was shivering as I stood, Neeks taking over motor skills because I couldn't focus. I stumbled to my window and opened it, jumping out and my mind going to auto pilot. I needed to calm down, I couldn't get myself to breathe properly.

My vision was less blurry from panic and at this point it was blurry from tears. I was still gasping, trying desperately to regain my breath.

I didn't realize I was at the Agreste Mansion until I was already past the wall and looking up at the house. Relief trickled through my system. " _Adrien_." I breathed, ears dropping a little further.

I jumped to his room's window, grabbing onto the ledge to keep from falling. I knocked on the window, seeing the male asleep in his bed. After a few taps, I saw Adrien sit up and look around, his emerald eyes nearly glowing in the dark. He rushed over, eyes wide, and the window I was in front of opened a second later. I tumbled in, barely heard him say my name before I hugged the model tightly, burying my face in his neck and choking back another sob.

"Wolven?! W-What's going on? Wh-"

"Please." I hated how desperate my voice was as I pressed into his warmth, trying to push away all the remaining fear and anxiety. "S-Safe. Y-You're safe. I-I'm okay... I-I'm safe...." I was mumbling those words like a mantra under my breath as I hid my face in his nightshirt, trying to get that point across to myself. Even though I was calmer than I was at home, I couldn't stop my shaking.

I curled up as I felt his arms wrap around me protectively, his warmth encasing me. His scent, underneath the smell of cheese, was comforting, relaxing. My walls broke and I began to sob once again, placing a hand over my mouth to stop the cries from getting too loud. I felt a hand place itself on top of my head in between my ears, and I felt him start to rub there as a comforting gesture.

He said nothing, just held me as I cried, pouring out all the pent up fear in the form of tears. He even began to rock back and forth, stroking my hair and keeping me close. Soon, the fear and anxiety began to leave my body, exhaustion creeping into me instead, as well as embarrassment. I began to push away, looking at the ground.

I cannot believe I just burst into Adrien's room and held onto him like a baby. In my superhero form.

"...Wolv-"

"Sorry," I cut him off, my voice a hoarse whisper from the crying. "Sorry, I... I just.... I remembered..."

He placed a hand on my chin and tilted my head up to be eye-level with him. "Wolven, it's okay." He whispered kindly, a gentle smile on his face that made my heart flutter a little. He looked sad as well, but inside those green eyes of his, I could see relief and kindness and something else I couldn't quite place. His hand moved to my cheek and I felt his thumb slide under my eye across my mask, wiping away any remaining tears. "You don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to. I won't pressure you into anything."

I closed my eyes and leaned into his touch with a heavy sigh that turned into a soft whine, placing my hand over his to tell him to keep it there. It was gentle. Warm. Slowly, I opened my eyes to look at him once again in the dark light, a shaky smile gracing my lips.

"Thank you..." It came out as a whisper, but the meaning behind them was louder than ever.


	22. A Day With Mom (Part 1)

After I had calmed down, Adrien and I had spent the next hour or two talking on his couch. I never told him what happened, but I explained that it had to do with the Akuma guy we had fought earlier, although we both knew that whatever he was, Oogie-Boogie was _not_ an Akuma. At least, not a normal one. Then eventually he fell asleep again, so I took him to his bed, tucked him in, and went to sleep on the couch. It was 2 o'clock in the morning, after all.

When I snuck out a few hours later, it was around five in the morning, and the early birds were just starting to wake up. I quickly jumped along the rooftops as Wolven, reaching my home in a matter of minutes. I quickly went through my room's window and sighed as the transformation disappeared, giving Neeks a piece of candy before going back to bed. I was just glad that it was the weekend now, so I could sleep in as long as I wanted. Neeks cuddled up against my chin, licking at it gently and slowly lulling me to sleep.

When I woke up again, it was well into the late morning, and I could hear mom singing and dancing in one of the other rooms. I guess that means her meeting went well. I stretched as I sat up, yawning softly before getting out of bed and going to take a shower. When I came out of the shower I got dressed and brushed my hair, walking out of my room with Neeks hidden in my pocket. I followed the sound of the music to the living room, seeing mom dancing around with a happy smile on her face. When she saw me she squealed and ran over, grabbing my hands and gently rocking me back and forth before spinning me around.

I laughed silently, grinning brightly from her infectious cheer.

"Jaspie, guess what?!" She squealed, making me give her a questioning look.

"I found a buyer! She's going to buy three of my paintings and even said she'd commission some after the exhibit!" Mom giggled, spinning me again before I spun her. "Plus, she was so attractive, like, _wow_. Too bad she's got a boyfriend." I nodded slightly, dancing with mom in a way that wouldn't over exert me too much. Really we just swung back and forth and kept spinning each other.

"Did you have a nice night? I hope you did. I wish I could have stayed with you so soon after the Akuma incident, but I couldn't pass up that chance." She said softly, letting me go after another spin so I could finally answer. I debated telling her about the nightmare, but I knew she would feel terrible for not being there, and she deserved this happiness. I grabbed my notepad and quickly wrote my response.

"I had a nice night. Got some homework gone, got some needed sleep." I wrote, smiling a little more. Mom smiled and paused the music on her phone. "That's good! You've been looking like a zombie lately." She said softly, brushing hair from my eyes. "Hungry? I was thinking about making some French toast for you today."

I nodded and gave her a thumbs up, so we went to the kitchen. I helped get out the ingredients, sneaking Neeks a small chunk of brown sugar when making the egg wash. Mom was talking about how the meeting had gone, and I was nodding here and there to show I was listening. As we started to cook the coated bread, Mom gasped softly and turned to me, eyes sparkling. "Oh, right! Show me the pictures from yesterday!" She said almost childishly, bouncing lightly on the balls of her feet.

I smiled and shook my head at her behavior, pulling out my phone and opening my photo folders, pulling up the first of the photos. Mom took my phone and cooed over how adorable everyone was, laughing a bit at the picture of Nino trapped by Ladybug. When she reached the photos of Adrien she let out a wolf whistle. "Meow, he is attractive!" She said, giving me a grin like a cat who caught the canary. I blushed and hid my face in my hands, making her laugh again.

"Oh, come have to admit he's pretty hot dressed like that. Do you have any pictures together?" I grabbed my notebook again after flipping the current piece of French toast that was cooking on the griddle.

"Go to my text messages. The one at the top is a group message with photos Alya took of all of us."

Mom went to the text messages as I had said and cooed even louder, placing a hand lovingly on her cheek as she looked at the pictures of Adrien and I together, at the very top of the chat. "You two look so adorable together! Seriously, just ask the boy out already!"

I blushed darkly and did the 'X' motion with my hands again, shaking my head. Mom pouted and whined before going through the rest of the photos.

"Why not? He's cute, friendly, attractive. You two clearly have _something_ for each other, and it certainly looks like romantic affection to me."

I quickly started writing in my notebook, still shaking my head and blushing darkly. "He likes Ladybug, not me!"

Mom scoffed, setting the phone down and finishing up the food. "Please, he's sixteen in a few weeks, and she's most definitely the boy's first crush. He just _thinks_ it's true love." She placed three pieces of French toast on a plate and I add some butter and maple syrup before going over to the table and sitting down with my notebook next to me. "He probably just likes her as a celebrity crush, but doesn't even realize it."

She sat across from me, leaning on her arms as she rested them on the table. "Now, his feelings for _you_ on the other hand. I think he's starting to really like you. Just look at his face in this picture here." She pushed my phone towards me, the first picture of the group chat full sized on it. I studied it as I ate my breakfast, just looking at it before really studying Adrien's face.

The picture was most likely taken in a burst of photographs, because the timing was almost too perfect. It was the moment Adrien had caught me when I had stumbled from Alya's shove, my face flushed red and mouth slightly open in shock as I stumbled into him. My cape was fluttering in the air while his jacket followed the flow of air around his feet and wrapped around them slightly. One of Adrien's feet was placed a little behind him to steady the two of us. His arms had just wrapped around my waist, only blurry if you looked close enough, and he was smiling, looking at me instead of the camera. I noticed a little of the look he would give Ladybug in his eyes, his own cheeks tinged pink.

I blushed again and pushed the phone back to mom, not looking at her and focusing on my food. Mom laughed softly and sighed, and I could hear the smile in her voice when she spoke again. "Give it time. He'll grow to love you even more than Ladybug, and you two will be so adorable! I know you are both young and it's easy to fall in love, but I think you two will last longer than you think."

I peeked at her again from behind my bangs, and she smiled lovingly at me. "You look like you don't believe me."

I gave her a look that screamed, "Really?" and she laughed, shaking her head lightly. "Trust me! You two have known each other for what, a month? You already have a connection deeper than you normally would with friends you had known for a year. You're close, and I always thought it was better to marry your best friend rather than someone you could fall out of love with in a few years."

I hesitated a moment before grabbing my notebook, beginning to write in it. "Did you? Was he your best friend?"

Mom read what I wrote and sighed again, running her hand through her hair. "I thought I had. He had been so nice, remember?" She smiled sadly before biting her lip. "Probably not... You were so young then. He was so sweet, and kind, and he loved us more than anything." Mom lightly picked at a loose thread on her sweater, not meeting my eyes. "Then the.... Secret in the company happened, and it changed him. He became so different. By the time he snapped and...." She trailed off, a haunted, devastated look in her eyes, "Well... At that point, all I had known was that I had married a murderer. I've regretted not leaving him since."

She leaned back, the ends of her sweater sleeves clenched in her hands, "And now," She sighed, tone suddenly tired, "He's dead. I'm just thankful that the change in him was slow enough you got to have a happy child hood and early preteen years." She gave me a sad smile and I reached over to give her hand a gentle squeeze. "I'm sorry I didn't divorce him earlier, I just... I wanted you to have a father for as long as possible. I had no idea he would try to- to hurt you like that."

I frowned and got up, walking over and hugging her, trying to convey that it wasn't her fault. I patted her head gently and comforted her much like she did with me. "Sorry," I traced on her back, "I shouldn't have asked."

"No, no. It's okay." Mom moved back, giving me a watery smile. "I'm over it. I'm over him." She said determinedly, smiling again a moment later. "See? I'm bouncing back already." She gently patted my arm before lightly shoving it. "Now go back to your food. It's getting cold."

I nodded and went back to my spot, finishing my food a few moments later. I took my plate and wasked it before putting it in the dishwasher, going back over to mom and hugging her again. She hugged me back and rubbed my back gently. "What would you like to go today? We can go look around the city, try and meet up with some of your friends, or whatever you'd like. But I want to spend a day with you today to make up for the time I haven't been around since we moved. I don't have any paintings to do right now."

I nodded, smiling. "That would be great." I traced on her back, moving away after a moment. "Let's look around a bit. You haven't really been around, right?" I wrote in my notepad, showing it to her a moment later. She nodded and smiled, going to grab her phone, wallet, and keys.

"That sounds wonderful. I'd like to see Tom and Sabine's bakery myself, actually. Maybe get to meet the Dupain-Chengs while I'm at it." Mom said with a smile as she pulled on a light jacket. I did the same, nodding again as I opened the door for her once we had our shoes on. I followed her outside and she locked the door, the chilly autumn air wrapping around us as we made our way down the street with no specific place in mind right now. We'd go to the bakery later, when we were hungry.

Mom hummed softly as we walked, looking around at all the different houses and stores. I flipped to a clean page in my notebook, writing carefully as I walked. "Tell me about last night's meeting. You said the lady was really pretty?"

After mom read the page she grinned, dodging a person who wasn't looking where they were going. "Oh, right! Madame Gosier was so pretty! She had lovely tanned skin and her eyes were such a deep blue- she almost looked like she could be a supermodel who wasn't super thin. She had a little chubbiness and that's perfectly fine, it just made her look prettier in my opinion. Her personality was beautiful, too! So caring, and passionate!"

I laughed faintly, nodding as she rambled on about her buyer, making sure she didn't run into anyone in her fervor, "We talked for _hours_ as she asked me about the inspiration behind my paintings, and we kept getting off track and talking about you and her boyfriend. Oh! Guess what? Her boyfriend is an English teacher! Maybe you two can work together and improve your writing together." I smiled and nodded, thinking that sounded like a good idea. If he was nice, of course.

"We traded so many stories- it was more like we were best friends instead of buyer and seller by the end of the night! We even traded phone numbers!" Mom laughed and grinned, shaking her head slightly. "Man, I don't think I've _ever_ made a friend that fast since high school!"

"Good for you, mom! When do I get to meet her?" I wrote, handing her the notepad and letting her read it as I navigated us through the growing crowd.

"We're thinking it'll be the exhibition, because she's taking her boyfriend to see my art there and both of their schedules are clear for then." She replied, handing me the notepad again.

"I can't wait to meet them." I smiled as I showed her what I wrote, and she nodded, smiling.

"Same here." Mom smiled and slung an arm across my shoulders. "Now then, show me the art stores!" She cheered playfully, pulling me as close as she could before ruffling my hair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I feel really, really selfish for saying this, but just so you guys know, I'm fine with anyone drawing fan art of my fic or writing little fan fictions about it! I'd love it, actually. I would love to see how you guys interpret everything and just sort of see what you guys saw in your mind's eye and stuff. I don't know, it's hard to describe, but I do know that it would make me happy and adore you guys even more! Seriously, you guys are all amazing and lovely and so supportive! I would have dropped this months ago if I didn't have you!
> 
> ALSO I have an idea to focus on Hawkmoth this book and have my secret villain be the bad guy for a SEQUEL~, cause this is getting kind of long already, chapter wise. Any recommendations for a title?


	23. A Day With Mom (Part 2)

After letting Mom go shopping in a few of the stores along the street we had been on, where she bought some dresses and art supplies, I decided to lead mom through the park where Oogie-Boogie had appeared and died a few days prior since it was a great shortcut to the Eiffel Tower. As we were passing by the fountain and carousel, Mom stopped and tugged on my hand. "Oh, wait, Jasper!  I see Adrien over there!" She said softly in excitement, starting to pull me over to the area Adrien was currently standing, a photo shoot taking place. He looked pretty awake considering how late I had woken him up last night, and for a minute I felt rather guilty about it.

Neeks nudged me and I looked down, seeing him glare at me from under my scarf, as if telling me not to feel guilty. I needed someone to comfort me, and Neeks must have thought he was the best person to go to.

"Wait, mom, he's working! We can't bother him while he's working!" I scrambled to type on my phone, showing her the message as she pulled me over.

"I know that!" Mom said with a small scoff, a knowing smile on her face, "Goodness, child, you act like I'm about to scream and yell at him like those Fangirls of his!" She scolded playfully, walking over to the bench nearby and sitting down on it gracefully. She patted the spot next to her as she smiled and spoke again, "We'll invite him to lunch with us, and bring him along even if his gorilla of a bodyguard over there doesn't allow it."

"Mom!" I wrote in my notebook as I sat down next to her, hoping my shock got across. She rolled her eyes and laughed softly.

"What? Mr. Bodyguard is welcome if he wants to join! I saw the cutest little café a few blocks away- or we could go to Tom and Sabine's Bakery!" She said innocently as she pulled out her new sketchbook and pencils from one of her art store bag. She handed me another notebook, this one more in the style of a journal to write in. "Here. Write a story while I sketch your little model friend."

She tucked her legs up close to her chest, resting her sketch pad on her legs and beginning to sketch Adrien with a surprising intensity. I sighed and shook my head, a small smile on my face as I turned back to Adrien and started trying to think of a story to write. I tapped the eraser of my pencil against my lips a few times, but soon I was twirling the pencil in my hand and tapping it against the cover of the notebook. I was admittedly staring at Adrien, but it was unseeing, I was focused entirely on something entirely different.

After a few minutes a grin slowly spread across my lips and quickly pencil to paper.

_Once upon a time, there was a knight own all throughout the kingdom of Kwamistala as the Dark Knight. Why was he called this, you ask? Well, because he wore light weight, black and dark purple colored armor. He was the handsomest knight in the kingdom, and the most well liked. He was kind to all who came across him, and never raised his sword without reason._

_One day, he was assigned by the King of his country to venture into the Forest of Gods and dispose of an impurity there; a vampire who had taken refuge in the forest. Now, normally this would not be that big a deal, because the vampire did not attack humans and had not caused commotion in the villages near the forest, but the Forest of Gods was a sacred place that housed mini gods, and only the highest of knights were allowed into the forest for only a few days, at the most, unless they had been chosen by a mini God in those three days._

_The Dark Knight was one of those chosen Knights, a small black cat God named Noir having chosen him only two years before. The Dark Knight was one of the youngest high-ranking Knights ever, the other one being a young girl nicknamed the Miracle Knight with her small ladybug Goddess, Fortune. He knew that this was of a grave offense; a vampire, the spawn of Satan, living in the home and birthplace of gods? It was unheard of, to begin with. So, he took the quest, and he began his journey to the forest, planning to arrive in three days time on horseback._

_On the first day, he passed through the town where Miracle Knight was staying, and told the girl about his quest. She and Fortune wished the boy and Noir good luck, which, considering it was from a Goddess representing good luck, was practically a blessing. He soon went on his way, since he had no time to waste, and-_

"Oh, he's done! Adrien, sweetheart! Over here!" Mom's voice snapped me out of my writing, and after watching her stand and start waving, stared at my work with a small smile. I felt that was a rather nice start, about half a page in my notebook was filled with the start of the story. I closed the notebook and carefully bound it with the strap it had, smiling and waving at Adrien when I saw him looking over. Adrien said something to his bodyguard and then came rushing over, smiling brightly when he reached us.

"Hello, Mitzy, Jasper. It's nice to see you." He said happily, his grin this time much more natural and less model-like. My mom hugged him, laughing softly.

"You did wonderful out there! Oh, shoot!" My mom moved back quickly, blushing lightly in embarrassment, "Sorry, I probably shouldn't have done that. I always forget not everyone likes physical contact, especially from their friend's parents." She laughed nervously, and Adrien blushed shyly.

"No, it's fine. Thank you for your support, it's really kind of you."

"It's nothing. By the way, sweetie, you don't mind if I sketched you while you were working, do you?"

Adrien blushed even more and shook his head. "No, not at all."

"Oh good!" Mom smiled brightly and clapped her hands lightly together, giggling. "Now then, down to business! Adrien, would you like to join us for lunch? We were thinking either this really nice café down the street, or maybe Tom and Sabine's?"

Adrien's eyes lit up at the sound of Marinette's family's bakery, making me smile. It was cute how much he liked their food, even if it was amazing food. "That would be great! Let me just see if it's okay with Gorilla and Nathalie." He said, pointing towards the limo with the two he mentioned waiting for them.

"Okay. Oh! Tell them they can come and get something with us, if it makes them feel better!" Mom added quickly as Adrien went off to ask the others. He gave a thumbs up to show he heard and Mom turned to me, smiling. "So, I saw you got really into writing after staring at Adrien for a bit." She teased, making me blush. I lightly pushed her and and looked away, not denying or confirming her words. She giggled and ruffled my hair, wrapping me in a one armed hug as we watched Adrien talk to the others.

Mom waved when he gestured to us, and I couldn't help but silently chuckle at how cheerful and almost childish mom was acting today. Adrien's smile fell for a few moments as Nathalie said something, and I frowned, worried they wouldn't let him come with us. More talking happened between the three of them and soon Adrien was smiling again and thanking them profusely before running back over. "They said I can come with you until my lunch break is over!" He said cheerfully, and mom squealed as I smiled.

"Lovely! Alright, so, Tom and Sabine's or the café down the street? Your pick, Adrien, and my treat!"

Adrien smiled sheepishly and he rubbed at the back of his neck, blushing lightly. "Um, if it's not too much trouble... Tom and Sabine's?" He asked a little nervously, and I gave him an encouraging thumbs up as mom smiled patiently and nodded.

"That's perfectly fine, dear. Don't worry!" She took our hands and hoisted our arms up a little, linking her arms through them as I grabbed the bags with my other hand. "Now then, Adrien, dear, I hope you don't mind a bit of walking. We aren't too far away though!" Mom giggled a little, happy and giddy, and it was affecting Adrien and I just as much. Adrien laughed softly, assuring mom that it was fine, and together we went to the bakery that was, almost literally, around the corner.

When we arrived at the bakery I split away from Mom's hold and opened the door for them, the bell jingling as I opened it.

"Oh, hello Adrien, Jasper!" Madame Dupain-Cheng said happily as she handed a customer their order. I waved and closed the door as Adrien gave her a verbal greeting, and my mom went up to Marinette's mother once the customer was done. "Hello, I'm Jasper's mother, Mitzy Wells. You and your husband have amazing food here!"

After the greeting, Mom turned to look at Adrien and me. "Boys, pick out whatever you'd like for lunch, okay? I want to talk with Madame Dupain-Cheng here for a little bit, if that's alright." The last part was directed towards Marinette's mom, who nodded.

"As long as no other customers come in, I have all the time in the world!"

"Perfect! So, anyway, Jaspie here tells me you offered to make some snacks for my exhibition...." I tuned out Mom's conversation and looked over to Adrien, who was looking around at all the different things to try. I smiled and walked over to him, taking my personal notebook out and quickly writing in it.

"So, what do you recommend?"

Adrien read what I wrote and he smiled, blushing a little. "Oh, well, I guess everything. I don't get to come here a lot, but no matter what I get, it tastes amazing. The quiche is really good."

I nodded, smiling as I listened to him. "Hey, whenever you'd like, mom and I can take you here- or we could cook for you. In case you want a home cooked meal sometime."

About a week ago, a few days after the tentacle Akuma incident at school, I had learned that Adrien hadn't had a home cooked meal since his mother disappeared almost three years prior and instead was fed really high class food from a personal chef. As great as that sounded, it just felt empty to me and from the look in Adrien's face he missed home cooked meals, so I decided to tell him he was welcome whenever he liked cue the opportunity arose; and guess what, the opportunity came about two seconds ago.

Adrien's eyes widened slightly and he stared at me in shock, disbelief in his eyes for a moment before he smiled brightly. "Really?"

I nodded, smiling back in return. "Of course." I wrote, glancing at mom before continuing, "Mom already considers you a son."

Adrien read what I wrote and his smile only grew, and soon enough I was being hugged almost gingerly by him. "Thank you, so much."

I patted his back, almost as if to say "Anytime," and he moved away after a moment, smiling sheepishly.

"Sorry, too much?"

"Not at all." I wrote, hugging him gently once more before moving back and starting to write again. "So, shall we get our food and go back to the park?"

"That sounds like a perfect idea."

We chose what we would like and after mom paid for them she shooed us off to continue taking about food plans for her exhibition with Madame Dupain-Cheng. As we walked to a bench in the park to eat, I set the shopping bags down and opened the small bag that the food was in, handing Adrien his food and taking out mine after.

We are in comfortable silence, both enjoying the small treats from the bakery. Mom came over with her own food and sat next to me as she ate, a large smile on her face. I laughed softly and quickly wrote down, "Are you excited for the exhibition, or are you thinking about Madame Gosier?"

Mom blushed when she read what I wrote, making my grin grow even wider as Adrien read it as well and chuckled from Mom's expression. "If I'm reading this right, you like someone, Mitzy?" He asked softly, smiling happily as Mom's blush grew darker.

"I-I, well, yes, but I wasn't thinking about her!"  Mom said just a little too quickly. I gave her and "Uh-huh, sure," look and she whined softly, wrapper her arms around my chest and resting her head on mine. "Jasper, don't look at me like that!" She whined, hugging me close.

"Adrien's going to start teasing me, too!"

Adrien laughed at that, smiling brightly. "Don't worry, I won't. It's cute though! I'm glad to see you're happy." Mom only blushed more and got up, laughing and hugging Adrien tightly.

"Thank you so much, sweetie!"

Adrien laughed and I smiled, clapping quietly. Mom moved away when we heard someone call Adrien's name. It was the photographer from before, and Adrien sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I have to go. It was great seeing you, Jasper, and thank you for lunch, Mitzy."

Mom smiled brightly at him as he stood up, nodding slightly. "No problem, sweetie. Stop by whenever you'd like- our doors are always open!" I nodded in agreement, waving goodbye as Adrien turned to run back over to the photographer and his bodyguard.

Mom sighed when he left, biting her lip. "He seemed a little sad to go. How often did you say he worked?"

I flipped through my notebook to the page with that conversation, pointing to the message. "Too much. A few days a week during school, the weekends- he barely gets time to himself with all that and his extracurriculars." _And being Chat Noir_ I added to myself.

Mom frowned, tapping her foot on the ground a few times. "Okay. We need to have him come over to our place often, then. That is no life for a teenage boy!" I nodded in agreement, and Mom stood up, grabbing her bags again. "Alright, we'll leave him to work, let's go wander around and get the tourism out of my system." She handed me some of the bags and after waving goodbye to Adrien, we left the park and headed for the Eiffel Tower. The rest of our day was filled with sightseeing and teasing each other about our crushes- which, yes, I admit I have on Adrien.

When we got home later that night, we ended the day with a movie, and when I finally laid in my bed, petting Neeks gently as he curled up in his pillow, I fell asleep without a single worry in my mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case of future reference, and some past references, I thought I'd let you know this story takes place a little over a year after the first season of miraculous ladybug. I kept the class the same, but everyone is either a year older, or they are turning a year older at some point in my story. Currently, they are two months into the school year and Jasper came around a month into the school year, towards the end of September and beginning of October. Currently it is November 1st story time. The thing with his dad happened three years ago, and he *cough*officially*cough* met Neeks 4 months ago. Hoo boy, I've got some editing to do once this is all done (I don't feel like fixing it all until this story is complete. I just know there will be more errors in chapters to come). As to why I haven't mentioned Lila, I have no excuse. I don't think I remembered her existence when starting this and when I remembered I just didn't feel like writing her in. Also, I don't know enough about her currently to write her accurately, so maybe she'll make an appearance after second season comes out (if this runs that long)


	24. A Story Within A Story (Part 1)

The next day, mom was back to painting her final few pictures for the exhibition next month and I was going to spend the day doing whatever I wanted. What did I want to do?

Continue that story from yesterday.

Neeks whined softly from his resting place on my bed as I got up from the warmth embrace of my sheets to start my day. "Jasper, come back to bed...! It's too early on a Sunday for you to be getting up right now!" The small wolf Kwami whined, lifting his head only slightly from his tiny pillow before letting flop back down.

I would have responded to his remark, telling him it's really not that early, but he had already fallen back asleep before I could even grab my notebook. I laughed weakly, coughing softly at the ticklish burn it caused, and grabbed both my notebooks, walking back to my bed and setting them there before going out to the kitchen and making myself some hot chocolate to drink while working on the story. When I finished making the drink, I went back into my bedroom and sat down next to Neeks, who huffed softly and rolled over. I gently scratched his belly before opening my writing notebook and rereading what I had already written.

_Once upon a time, there was a knight own all throughout the kingdom of Kwamistala as the Dark Knight. Why was he called this, you ask? Well, because he wore light weight, black and dark purple colored armor. He was the handsomest knight in the kingdom, and the most well liked. He was kind to all who came across him, and never raised his sword without reason._

_One day, he was assigned by the King of his country to venture into the Forest of Gods and dispose of an impurity there; a vampire who had taken refuge in the forest. Now, normally this would not be that big a deal, because the vampire did not attack humans and had not caused commotion in the villages near the forest, but the Forest of Gods was a sacred place that housed mini gods, and only the highest of knights were allowed into the forest for only a few days, at the most, unless they had been chosen by a mini God in those three days._

_The Dark Knight was one of those chosen Knights, a small black cat God named Noir having chosen him only two years before. The Dark Knight was one of the youngest high-ranking Knights ever, the other one being a young girl nicknamed the Miracle Knight with her small ladybug Goddess, Fortune. He knew that this was of a grave offense; a vampire, the spawn of Satan, living in the home and birthplace of gods? It was unheard of, to begin with. So, he took the quest, and he began his journey to the forest, planning to arrive in three days time on horseback._

_On the first day, he passed through the town where Miracle Knight was staying, and told the girl about his quest. She and Fortune wished the boy and Noir good luck, which, considering it was from a Goddess representing good luck, was practically a blessing. He soon went on his way, since he had no time to waste, and-_

Ah, yes, that was where I left off. Alright, time to continue.

_He soon went on his way, since he had no time to waste, and when the second day crept upon it's end for him, the Dark Knight came across some information about the vampire in the Forest of Gods. Apparently the vampire looked young, and had hair the color of snow and eyes the color of blood. He didn't attack the villagers, but he moved around a lot, and seemed to be either searching for something, or running away. Some villagers said they saw a God with the vampire, but they also said it was dark and they could only see sillouettes, so they couldn't be sure._

_The Dark Knight frowned, unsure about that bit of information. Why would a god pick a vampire as it's chosen? They were impure, after all. So he pushed it to the back of his mind and went on to the village nearest to the forest, which took up half of the last day. He stopped to replenish some of his supplies, then continued on his way to the forest, stopping right outside and tethering his horse to the nearest tree. The forest loomed in front of the knight, trees thick and dense and glowing slightly the further in he looked. From far away, it looked like it faded into darkness, but he knew that once he was inside, there were bioluminescent organisms that gave the forest light, and the small gods had their own means of lighting their home up._

_He and Noir would have to go on by foot from here on out, the cat God landing gracefully on the ground from where he had rested on the Knight's shoulders. He looked at the boy, gave him a grin, and strolled into the forest with ease. The two wandered, in no real hurry to look for the vampire while it was still daylight. They knew he'd be sleeping somewhere dark and away from the sunlight, and while the Dark Knight was to get rid of the vampire, he had no desire to kill the creature- especially not in a forest as sacred as this one._

I bit my lip, trying to think of what else to add before the Knight finds the vampire. I sipped at my hot chocolate as I thought, smiling as Neeks sneezed so hard he woke up. He groaned and sat up, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "Aw man, I was dreaming of something good, too!" He whined, flying up to my shoulder. I opened my talking notebook, flipping to a clean page and writing my response.

"Someone's talking about you. Think it could be one of the kwamis? I wonder if it's Adrien's."

Neeks shrugged as he read what I wrote, nuzzling my neck. "He's always liked me more. Y'know, I met their kwamis once in America."

I raised an eyebrow at him, and he nodded. "Yep. They've moved around a lot. Didn't stay too long in America, though. Too much war was going on and they didn't want to get involved since they weren't apart of the problem." He sighed softly, looking a little sad. "It was a bad time for me and my chosen, which is why Ladybug's Kwami doesn't have too great an opinion of me. Adrien's Kwami, though... I think since he's a God of Destruction, he knew what was going on, and I've always had a good relationship with him. He's a pragmatic little guy, that's for sure. Comes off as a jerk or uncaring like, half the time." Neeks sighed softly and nuzzled me again. "Well, anyways, just keep writing. It looks like you're creating quite the story there." He said teasingly, eyes glancing over what I have written.

"Shut up." I write, blushing a little from his tease before going back to writing the story.

_As they wandered, Noir and the Dark Knight found many small Gods, ranging in any and all species to breeds.  Each species symbolized something different, but there was a special God in each species, the only one of its kind. They symbolized something specific, and they were the strongest of their kind.  Noir was one of these special gods; the only black cat, who symbolized Destruction and Bad Luck, while the Miracle Knight's mini God, Fortune, was the only red Ladybug and symbolized Miracles and Good Luck. These special gods could transfer some of their powers to their chosen, giving them special abilities unique to them and only them._

_The gods they passed greeted them and welcomed them, and the Dark Knight gained a little more information on where the vampire had been staying. The Knight noticed how some of the Gods looked displeased, but most of them seemed to be fine with the Vampire invading their home._

_The rest of the day was spent heading in the vampire's direction. He had been told by a young turtle god that the vampire was taking refuge in the center of the forest, where it was admittedly the darkest during the day, and where the rivers of the forest connected with the largest tree in the forest. The Knight was only mildly surprised that the vampire didn't stay in the small cabin meant for the few times Knights came into the forest, but then he remembered how it had no way to block the shade when daylight reached it._

_The Dark Knight and Noir reached the center of the forest around sunset. The small amounts of dark golden light filtering through the leaves dotted the clearings like stars, and the rivers and streams that ran to the trees looked like molten gold and azures from the bioluminescent algae inside the water. The center tree was indeed the largest and oldest, the trunk of the tree much larger than any human. The Knight looked around, wondering if he was in the right section of the center, when he noticed a splash of red in the fading golden light hanging from a tree. He walked towards it quietly, trying not to alert the Vampire._

_When the Knight drew close enough, he saw that there was what looked to be a boy around his age curled up and sleeping on the branch, tattered black and red cape hanging down off the branch behind him. His head was covered by a hood but he could still see the shock of white that was his hair peeking through the holes in the hood, and his pants looked just as torn at the ends as his entire cape did, exposing deathly pale legs. The boy didn't look like he was wearing any shoes, but he was too high up for the Knight to tell._

_The Knight stared, shifting uncomfortably as he debated waking the male or letting him wake up naturally. Noir rolled his eyes and darted past him up the tree, much to the distress of the Knight. The distress for his partner was quickly snuffed out, however, when a startled cry came from the boy and he came tumbling back off the branch._

_"Ah!" The boy cried out as he fell to the ground, crashing loudly and probably painfully to the ground before the Knight could reach him. The knight winced at the sound of his fall, slowing in his run towards the boy and walking the rest of the way. He noticed now that the boy indeed wasn't wearing any shoes, and his feet and the exposed parts of his legs were covered in many small cuts and scars._

_When he was in front of the boy he offered him his hand while asking, "Are you okay?"_

_"Ow....." The boy groaned as he sat up, hood fallen to reveal a full head of shaggy, snow colored hair covered in leaves and twigs from his fall. He nodded as he rubbed the back of his head, shaking it quickly as if to clear away any disorientation. "Yeah, I'm okay...." He murmured, one Crimson eye still pinched shut as he rubbed his head. The Knight's breath caught momentarily in his throat as he looked at the vampire in front of him, finding him to be the most beautiful person he had ever come across. The vampire was-_

Neeks snorted, causing me to look at him. He looked like he was holding back some sort of teasing line, which made me a little wary. "What?" I wrote after switching notebooks.

"A little modest there, don'tcha think?" He asked, making me blush. He was obviously teasing me, but it still embarrassed me. I shrugged slightly, fiddling with the edge of the page. I didn't move to write anything or look at him. Neeks noticed my silence and he nuzzled me again, ears dropping slightly. "Hey, that's not a bad thing for you to write. I didn't mean it in a bad way, Jasper. I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings."

I shook my head, worrying at my lip. Neeks flew in front of my eyes, frowning slightly and ears dropping further as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Jasper, look at me. Pup, it isn't bad that you wrote that about a character modeled after you, especially if the character saying that is modeled after the person you like. You want Adrien to think that about you, right?"

I nodded slowly, slowly moving my gaze from Neeks. He sighed, flying closer and licking my cheek before nuzzling it again. "I shouldn't have laughed. I'm sorry, Jasper. I just thought it was cute of you and wanted to tease you a little. Keep writing, I want to keep reading it." He flew back to my shoulder and after another moment of getting rid of my embarrassment, I began writing again.

_The vampire was reaching for the Knight's hand when he suddenly froze, both eyes staring wide-eyed at the Knight. The Dark Knight looked at him confused, worry sinking in as the vampire stayed like that longer than he should._

_"Are-"_

_"Ah!" The vampire's scream cut the Knight off, and the vampire yanked his hand away so fast it was a blur as he scrambled back a few feet, eyes still locked on the Knight and filled with fear. The Knight, frozen in his position of reaching down to help him up, bit his lip and slowly straightened up, looking at the vampire with concern._

_"Is everything alright?"_

_"W-What are you doing here?!" The vampire's voice cracked, and the Dark Knight winced at how hoarse the boy's voice was._

_"I'm allowed here..." At the vampire's small amount of confusion in his eyes, he elaborated. "I'm a knight.... The Dark Knight, if you want to get specific.... I was chosen by one of the gods here?" The vampire's confusion grew, but he was still tense, and the Knight sighed, running a hand carefully through his hair. "Anyway, my name is Felix. My partner's name is Noir."_

_As if on cue, Noir dropped down between the two, eliciting another yelp from the boy and causing him to scramble further away. Noir stalked over to Felix, jumping up to his shoulder and yawning loudly. "Give it up, Felix. The kid ain't gonna relax anytime soon. You're probably the first human he's come in contact with in a week or two, given the freshness of those scratches." Noir studied the scratches along the boys feet and legs and his tail flicked in irritation. "Some cat gods went after him, too, but most of those tears and cuts were caused by running through brambles and other sharp things in forests and nature in general." Noir's tail flicked again, his nose scrunching up in what almost looked like disgust._

_"What I don't get, though... Is why do you smell like one of us?" Noir jumped down again and walked over, sniffing at the vampire. When Noir was reaching the vampire's waist, a snarl was the only warning he had before a large white wolf appeared, standing over the vampire protectively and dark, molten silver eyes staring right at Felix and his God. Noir scrambled back with a hiss, back arched and fur standing on end as Felix pulled out his sword on reflex. The vampire cowered behind the wolf, his hands tangling themselves into the wolf's thick fur._

_The wolf snarled, crouching low to cover as much of the vampire as possible, almost as if it was protecting him. Felix frowned and quickly put his sword away, holding his hands up to show he wasn't going to harm the other male. "Hey, it's okay. We won't touch him, promise." He said to the wolf, who only continued to growl._

_Noir's fur slowly laid flat, and his posture relaxed as he stepped closer, sniffing lightly at the Wolf's paw before the wolf moved away from the cat God. His nose crinkling again, and he sat back on his haunches. "What the...? You're one of us?"_

_The wolf didn't respond, still guarded against the Knight and God. Felix sighed softly and took a few hesitant steps forward before sitting down in front of the vampire and wolf, glancing over the wolf to try and see the vampire. "What's your name?" He asked, watching as the vampire peeked out from behind the wolf._

_"O-Oliver...." The vampire said softly, not meeting Felix's eyes and his cheeks dusted with red. Felix smiled and nodded, still not moving closer._

_"Oliver, huh? That's a nice name." He got a small nod from the vampire, who slowly shifted into a more comfortable position behind the wolf. His arm slipped over the wolf's back, wrapping loosely around his neck as he pulled the wolf off him. The wolf relaxed almost immediately and nudged the boy lovingly. Felix bit his lip, watching the exchange and glad that the vampire was a bit more comfortable now. "Oliver... Do you know what this forest is?"_

_Another small nod, the vampire gnawing at his lower lip and exposing one of his fangs. "The.... The Forest of Gods, right?" He said softly, pressing into the wolf's side a little more. Felix belatedly noticed that the boy's cloak was clasped with silver chains, and he winced a little when he noticed the faint burns on his neck where the chains had pressed against before being secured under his shirt's collar. He nodded, smiling a little more._

_"Yeah, this is the Forest of Gods. You know you aren't allowed here unless you are a high-ranking knight, right? And even then you have to be chosen by a god here, like Noir, in order to stay as long as you'd like or need to."  Felix said softly, smile gone as Oliver continued to look confused and scared._

_"B-But Silver said it was okay for me to be here...."_

_Felix frowned faintly, tilting his head to the side in confusion. "Who's Silver?" He asked softly, wondering just who told Oliver he was allowed here. He looked over at Noir to see that his jaw had dropped, and the cat God's wide green eyes were fixed on the wolf._

Neeks whined softly, making me chuckle a little. I looked over him with fake annoyance, seeing that he was pouting. "Why'd you name me Silver? That's such a boring name...!"

"Then what would you like to be called?" I wrote in my talking notebook, and Neeks hummed in thought.

"Um.... I-I don't know! Um... Tivachi! Name me Tivachi!"

"Tivachi?"

"Yeah! Yeah, yeah, yeah!" His tail wagged as he came up with name, eyes shining happily and nearly sparkling. I laughed silently, shaking my head playfully as I went back and erased the name Silver for him.

_"B-But Tivachi said it was okay for me to be here...."_

_Felix frowned faintly, tilting his head to the side in confusion. "Who's Tivachi?" He asked softly, wondering just who told Oliver he was allowed here. He looked over at Noir to see that his jaw had dropped, and the cat God's wide green eyes were fixed on the wolf._

_Felix looked from Noir to the wolf, slowly putting the pieces together. "Wait, so the wolf is Tivachi? Is he a God?"_

_"Yes, he is. He's like Fortune and I." Noir said, walking forward and bowing gracefully in front of the wolf. "He's the only white wolf... and he stands for Freedom and Instincts." Noir looked over the wolf and then Oliver, sitting down again and curling his tail around his paws. "He wanders, choosing his chosen from a certain code that only he knows, and one or two requirements must be made besides the code. It's rare he ever finds someone worthy of being his chosen, and it's even more rare for anyone- human, vampire, or God- to see him face to face."_

_Felix hummed in surprise, following Noir's lead and bowing for the wolf God. "What are the requirements?" He asked Noir curiously, wondering if he even had the answer. Noir opened his mouth and was about to answer when he was cut off by a new voice._

_"Freedom."_

_Felix looked over to Tivachi, who was looking at him with a small wolfish grin on his face. "My main requirement is a desire or need for freedom." Tivachi repeated more thoroughly, his voice slightly deeper than Noir's, calm and steady. He sounded kind and loving, and Felix watched as Oliver relaxed further at the sound of his voice. The wolf licked at Oliver's hair, gently pulling out the leaves and twigs stuck in it, tail swaying gently back and forth as he cleaned the boy._

_"My pup here needed freedom from his chains, and I've been trying to help him along." He nuzzled Oliver, who let out a soft giggle and smiled gently. Felix felt his cheeks warm slightly, enjoying the small smile that made the boy even more beautiful. He found he liked it much more than the scared Oliver he had been seeing so far. "Come, Oliver, you don't need to be afraid of these boys. They're friends."_

_Oliver nodded and moved away from Tivachi a little, blushing lightly and rubbing the back of his neck. "Um... Sorry for what just happened... I, uh, I haven't met a friendly person in, well, centuries."_

_"It's alright. I understand." Felix smiled leaning back a little and using his hands to keep himself from falling any further. He studied the boy a little more and hummed in thought._

_"Oliver, if you don't mind me asking, why haven't I heard about you before?" At Oliver's confused look, he clarified what he meant, "Most vampire's are known far and wide, for some reason or another, but you.... I've never heard of you. An albino vampire is more unheard of than a vampire who doesn't attack humans."_

_Oliver's eyes widened slightly, a soft "Oh." slipping from his lips before he looked away, lightly biting his lower lip. Felix noticed how they were dried and cracked, a deep cherry red when the skin had broken or been torn._

_"Well.... I was... I was locked up, for a long time. I.... I used to be a prince, way back when my family ruled an entirely different country here, before it was destroyed and taken over during a war...." Oliver became silent, looking like he was trying to remember something. "What was it called.... The, um, the Celcists-Kwamistals War?"_

_He looked to Tivachi as if to make sure he had said the war's name right, receiving a kind smile and nod in return. He looked proud for a moment before turning his attention back to Felix. "I.. I got turned during the war by a rogue vampire. I don't remember her name... Or much of what she looked like." Oliver rubbed at the side of his neck, his hand slipping underneath some of his hair and exposing pale flesh marred with burns, with two angry red dots evenly spaced apart. "My family panicked and because they thought I was going to attack them, locked me in the dungeon. They lost the war, our line died out, and I was left alone in the ruins of the castle, stuck to a wall by heavy metal chains."_

_Oliver shivered from the memory, and Felix frowned. "That's terrible."_

_Oliver shrugged, look down and lightly digging his foot into the dirt a little more. "That's life. Or whatever the heck this is for me. Anyway, Tivachi found me about three years ago and broke my chains for me. He took me from the castle ruins and protected me as he took me to the nearest hiding place. He brought me food and explained what he was and why he helped me while I regained my strength. Then the villagers found out I was there and I've been chased by villagers or hunters ever since."_

_"I told my pup about this forest because he's still unwell. His strength has yet to really return to him, and he's not eating like he should. I go out hunting for him when I can but normally I don't have the time because we are either running or I need to protect him as he sleeps." Tivachi finished nuzzling his chosen gently._

_Felix nodded, quiet as he took in this information. "What do you need to eat?"_

_"I drink blood from dead animals, and it can be anything. Tivachi tries to get as big an animal he can get without killing any of the village animals."_

_Once again, Felix nodded, biting his lip lightly as he exchanged a glance with Noir. They couldn't kick Oliver out- he was chosen, for one thing, and for another- this might just be the only safe place left for him. After a silent conversation between chosen and God, Felix looked at Oliver and smiled. "Alright, I've got an idea. Come back to the castle with Noir and I. My King, King-_

I stopped, staring at the page. If the character based if Adrien was a knight, I wasn't going to make his father the King. I figured I should make it whoever gave him the black cat miraculous, but who was that? I looked to Neeks, who seemed to know my question without me even writing it down.

"I don't know if it's his first or last name, but he likes to be called Master Fu. You and the others will meet him eventually, but for now just call his character Fu." I raised an eyebrow at Neeks, switching notebooks again.

"So you want me to name him King Fu?"

Neeks read what I wrote and burst out laughing, covering his mouth with one of his paws. "Wow, okay, maybe we should call him something different." He giggled, wiping away an imaginary tear from his eye.

"It wasn't that funny, was it?" I wrote, an amused smile crossing my lips. Neeks shrugged, still smiling, and started trying to think of names.

"King....Cedric?" He suggested. I shrugged, writing down my own idea.

"King Jun?" Neeks hummed in thought, tapping his chin lightly.

"Works for me." He said with a final shrug, settling himself on my shoulder again. I nodded and started writing again.

_My King, King Jun, is friendly." Felix started carefully, "He was chosen by a special god here, too, and he won't let anyone harm you. You can stay with Noir and me in our room there, and you can have large animals blood when we but her cows and the like for food! We don't need a lot of their blood, and it's better than wasting it. No one there will care that your a vampire!" Felix personally liked the sound of the plan, a grin spreading on his face before he was even done speaking. Oliver didn't look too certain about it though, nervous as he stayed close to Tivachi._

_Tivachi looked thoughtful, his head cocking to the side a little. "Jun, huh? I met him once, when he was a little toddler. I always knew he was destined for greatness. Do you not choose the ruler by blood?"_

_Felix shook his head, smiling a little. "Not since many kings prior to King Jun. Our country's King Cedric, from about 20 years after the Celcists-Kwamistals War, had no heir, and so he chose from the high-Knights that had been chosen by a god. He picked the most trustworthy, and since that King's reign had gone so well they turned that into the new way of choosing a king. We haven't had a bloodthirsty ruler since."_

_Tivachi hummed and nodded, looking at Oliver. "We should try it, Oliver. I think you would like it."_

_"If you don't, I'm sure King Jun will let you stay here." Felix added quickly. Oliver's face became even more flushed, and he shrugged weakly. "Whatever's safe, I'll do... It seems wrong for me to be in a castle though... Are you sure people won't get mad?"_

_Noir scoffed, standing and stretching as he eased the boy's worries. "If they get mad, ignore them. You're our friend, Oliver, and you were chosen by a powerful God. They're just sore losers."_

_Oliver was quiet, looking at Tivachi before the others. He took a deep breath and nodded, biting his lip again. "O-Okay. I'll go with you."_

_Felix grinned, his happiness almost infectious as it caused even Oliver to smile a little. "We'll leave tomorrow night."_

I sighed as I closed the notebook, pleased with the progress I had made. Checking the time on my phone, I saw it was around 2:30, and I got up to go make something for me to eat. I grabbed a few pieces of candy and handed them to Neeks, who whined happily as he munched on them. I left the room with him, setting the notebook on my desk on my way out. I'll continue the story some other time.


	25. December: The Month Where Things End and Others Begin

Neeks and I stayed on the down-low for another few days, but each day I missed an Akuma attack, I felt worse about missing it. I knew that Ladybug and Chat Noir could handle themselves, but since I was here it felt wrong to just ignore it and act like I couldn't help them in some way. I had to miss them though, because if I went to them I'd be tired beyond compare by the end of the week, and then I really would be useless.

After the break from being Wolven I felt much better, having been able to sleep for as long as I needed at night and regain my energy from the transformations, but Neeks still wasn't sure he wanted to let me transform again just yet. He seemed to think I wasn't fully better, even though I was totally fine and kept telling him so. Still, he didn't give. I was alright with that, though, even if I didn't like missing the fights, because it meant Neeks would be able to relax and he wouldn't worry anymore.

Mom's exhibition was drawing even closer, and she finally picked a date. She decided on making it December 20th, a week after my birthday. Yep, soon I would be turning fifteen, and around a month later, Adrien would be turning 16 and then everyone else would follow. I was lucky to have been placed in this year, otherwise I wouldn't be in the same school as them next year as they go off to the French version of high school. That was actually, quite probably, the one thing that threw me off the most. While I was a sophomore in high school back in America, I dropped back down to a final year in middle school because that was closest to my academic learning from America. It was weird having to refer to myself as a middle schooler again, instead of a high schooler.

Anyway, things on Mom's side have been going well, too. She and Madame Gosier met up again a few days ago and Mom was admittedly still smitten by the lady. At first that I thought that wasn't smart, because Madame Gosier has a boyfriend, but mom said that he sounded just as caring and she was shown a picture of him, so she could confirm that he was just as attractive. She had that same look in her eye that she did with Madame Gosier, so I figured as long as she didn't get hurt, I'd be perfectly fine with whatever happened between the three of them. I wasn't going to shove myself into their relationship, though, so they'd have to figure everything out themselves.

School was slowly reaching that stage where it was boring and dull almost 24/7. It didn't help that I had most learned all of the curriculum already in English and all the other subjects I actually cared about. Math and Science I was remembering stuff and learning new things in, which, while it was great, made it difficult for me to pay attention. I was never good with math and numbers to begin with, even if I could keep my grade up. Neeks helped me with my homework and filled in where I admittedly would blank out if my attention refused to hold or exhaustion caught up with me during the early days of recovery.

Like right now, I'm sitting in math class and trying really hard to focus, bouncing my leg slightly as one of the most boring teachers I've ever had explained the Pythagorean Theorem to us. I already knew what it was, and I honestly just wanted the last five minutes of class to pass as fast as possible. I heaved a silent sigh, bringing the worksheet we had been filling out between notes to practice concepts we were learning, and began to work on the problems, blocking out the teacher.

I was on my fourth problem when Neeks nudged my stomach lightly, diverting enough of my attention to hear, "Mister Wells!"

I tensed slightly, glancing up from my worksheet to see the unhappy face of my math teacher, Monsieur Bessette. He stood tall and intimidating, his hair cut short and eyes cold but tired. I gave him a questioning smile, and he sighed heavily, although it was surprisingly quiet. "Mister Wells, I may not know how they did things at your last school but you are not allowed to work ahead in my class! I admire your dedication and ability to understand this material but what if I teach you something you don't know? I want your full attention, okay?"

I nodded, face flushing red from the attention that I had drawn in. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Alya give me a sympathetic smile. Monsieur Bessette nodded, patted the edge of my desk twice, then turned to the rest of the class. "Well, we have about a minute left of class so pack up! Be good in the rest of your classes, only two more to go!"

The other kids made a noncommittal sound as they packed their bags, and Alya sighed as hushed stretched and walked over to me. "Well, that was boring. You okay?"

I nodded, smiling reassuringly at her as I packed everything except my notebook and pencil. "Yeah, I'm fine. Let's go to our next class already, I want to get to English."

Alya gave me a sly grin, lightly nudging my side with her elbow. "You mean you want to see Adrien." She teased, making me blush. I huffed and looked away from her as I wrote down my next question for her.

"About that. Aren't you supporting Marinette when it comes to Adrien? Why are you doing the same for me when we clearly like the same person?"

Alya smiled and laughed softly, slinging her arm carefully over my shoulders. "Simple. I want both of you to end up happy, so I'm cheering you both on. Whichever one of you doesn't get him, I'll comfort." Alya paused for a moment, her grin only widening. "Nino thinks it might be you who gets him at this point, so I'll make sure that Marinette doesn't dislike you when all is said and done." She said, ruffling my hair. I scowled at her words, not sure if I should be worried, embarrassed, or happy that she was so open to the teenage love problems that her friends were experiencing.

She just laughed again and dropped her arm from my shoulder, waving goodbye as we split off to separate rooms for our next class. I sighed as I walked into the classroom, sitting next to Nathanael and talking to him a bit more. He showed me his new less private sketches, and I honestly loved all of them. He really was a good artist- he could make a living off this if he really wanted to.

When that class had finished, I went with Nathanael back to Mrs. Bustier's classroom and I told him when Mom's exhibition was. His eyes lit up and he smiled, already looking eager. "Really? That's great! I bet my dad will want to go see it, too. He really likes art- can't really draw or anything artsy himself, but he loves to collect it and look at it." He said happily, and I grinned.

"Perfect! Maybe he can add on to his collection, yeah?" I wrote, and Nathanael nodded.

"Yep! I saw some of the finished paintings when I was at your place last week. He'll love them!"

"That's great! He'll have to talk with mom over which ones are available to buy, though, because she has another buyer for a few of her paintings already. If he wants, she can make another variation of the picture." Nathanael nodded, humming in thought and smiling.

"Guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens." He said thoughtfully as we walked into the classroom and to our seats. I nodded once again and set my notebook down so I could open my backpack and pull out the necessary materials for class. We fell into comfortable silence as we prepared for class, and we compared answers on our worksheets for the book we were currently reading. We liked to compare because it showed what we each thought was important, and if one of us was stuck on a question the other could help.

I glanced over instinctively when I heard the door open, smiling when I saw Adrien and Nino walk in together. Nino smiled and waved to us, Adrien doing the same when he saw us, and I returned the gesture along with Nathanael. They boys went to their own seats and then turned to face Alya and Marinette, although only Marinette was there right now. I turned back to Nathanael, and we chatted until class started, and then we focused on the teacher, although Nathanael's attention was split between Mrs. Bustier and his sketchpad.

When English ended, I said goodbye to Nathanael and went to the group of four waiting by the door. Everyone had easy smiles on their faces as we walked out, and Marinette was the first to speak. "So Jasper, what do you want for your birthday?"

I shrugged, chuckling a little when the other three froze in surprise.

"Wait, your birthday is coming up?!" Nino and Alya cried, staring at me slack jawed. Adrien just looked curious now, no longer shocked as I nodded in confirmation.

"Yeah, December 13th. Oh yeah, Mom's exhibition is a week after, on the 20th at my place." Adrien hummed in mild surprise, before smiling a little. "That's cool. How old will you be?"

"15. I skipped a grade in America and that transferred to here, I guess. Although I dropped a grade here."

Nino snapped out of his shock and let out a low whistle. "Is that why you always seem bored in the lessons? You already know everything?" I nodded, shrugging again.

Alya was still shocked for a moment longer before she groaned and slapped a hand to her forehead. "I can't believe I didn't know that! I know everything about the kids in my class!" We all laughed at that, and I shook my head goodnaturedly.

"Our interview was cut short, remember? You never bothered to continue it aside from a few quick questions for the school blog."

Alya sighed and smiled, nodding slightly. "Yeah, that's true. I thought it'd be fine after that, especially since you never looked all to comfortable being interviewed."

"Yeah, sorry. I've had enough of being interviewed for one lifetime." I wrote with a small smile and wheezy chuckle. Marinette smiled and brought the topic back to gifts.

"So? What do you want?"

I shrugged once again as we made our way to the door. "I'm fine with anything, really. I know that isn't helpful but I never thought about it much." Marinette pouted but the others looked thoughtful. She sighed, rubbing at her arm a little. "Alright, if you say so. I'll figure something out for you." She hummed, smiling brightly with determination a moment later. "Yeah, I'll make something great for you!"

Alya laughed and patted Marinette on the shoulder, smiling brightly. "I'm sure it'll be great, Mari. I'll do my best to get you something awesome, too. Now, who wants to go see a movie on Saturday with us? Adrien, are you going to be free?"

"I think I'm free for a few hours in the evening. Nathalie will probably let me go."

"Great! Nino, Jasper? You guys aren't going to let him be the only one coming, are you?"

"I'll go." I wrote, just as Nino said he would as well.

"What movie should we go see?" Adrien asked, and Alya hummed, shrugging her shoulders after a moment.

"Let's just choose when we get there. Does six work for everyone?"

After a unanimous nod, Adrien had to go because he had a photo shoot and the rest of us slowly broke apart until it was only Marinette and I left.

Neeks shuffled around in my pocket and when I glanced down saw him poking his nose out of my pocket and I had a feeling he was staring at Marinette's bag because I could almost picture a hole burning in it. I frowned slightly for a moment and looked back up to Marinette, who had a thoughtful look on her face. I shrugged, figuring I'd ask him about it later, and smiled at her, motioning towards where our houses were as if asking her if she was ready to go. She nodded and we began walking the short distance in companionable silence.

"Hey, Jasper?"

I looked over to here, a little surprised at her sudden speaking. I figured today would be one of those days we stayed silent the whole way. I raised an eyebrow, motioning for her to go on.  She bit her lip and seemed a little hesitant, but she nodded and took a deep breath before speaking.

"If you like Adrien, I won't stop you from trying or anything. I'm sorry if I haven't seemed like the friendliest person in the world because of it." She said quickly, blushing lightly and looking down. "I guess I just got jealous."

I smiled and patted her shoulder before removing it to write, "It's fine. I get it. You can keep pining for him too, and whoever ends up with him we be happy for, okay? Even if it isn't one of us."

Marinette laughed a little as she read what I wrote, nodding. "Yeah, definitely." She said happily, and we fell back into comfortable silence the rest of our way home, which wasn't very long. I split away first, waving goodbye and entering my own house. Neeks flew from my pocket and stared intently at the door, and I tapped him. He looked over to me, crossing his paws over his chest. "I think I know who ladybug is..." Neeks murmured, looking down. "I kind of hope I'm wrong, simply because of how obvious it is and dangerous it can be...."

"Let me guess, you think it's Marinette?" I wrote, showing it to him. His eyes widened and he stared at me in shock.

"I-yes, I do... Was I that obvious?" I nodded, smiling at Neeks and ushering him to my shoulder. Neeks huffed and leaned against my scarf carefully. "Well, alright then. How come you aren't freaking out?"

I shrugged again and went to my room to work on homework, writing "After the shock from Adrien, I kind of had my suspicions.... Honestly it doesn't really surprise me anymore."

Neeks hummed and shrugged, leaning a little further into my scarf. "I see. Well, I'm amazed how neither of them seem to have realized- or their kwamis. We can sense each other! Especially the yin-yang duo... So it's kind of astounding that neither have mentioned it."

I simply shrugged one last time, setting Neeks down on my desk as I got out the folder I had my homework in.  Neeks went over to my candy bowl and shuffled through it, looking for a candy he wanted to enjoy. "Hey Jasper?"

I looked over to him, urging him to continue. "When we run out of candy, can you get me something with chocolate?"

"I thought we agreed chocolate was going to be a special treat every now and then for you after the stomach ache you got that one time." I wrote, though I gave him a sympathetic smile

Neeks pouted, huffing. "Stupid dog-like genes...." He grumbled like a small child. I laughed and pet him, starting on my homework.


	26. I Know You

A few days later, Neeks was finally letting me rejoin patrols and fights. As thanks, I did in fact get him some M&Ms, but I made sure to only give him a small handful and hid the rest away to snack on at a later time or give him the next time he could have chocolate. He was pretty happy either way, so there were no real problems with that.

There had been one Akuma attack that day, and the looks on Ladybug and Chat Noir's faces when I appeared were just as priceless as the first time, although they quickly turned into happy looks. The three of us managed to subdue the Akuma with relative ease, and they filled me in on what I had missed. Apparently they had found a lead on where Hawkmoth was located, and now we had to figure out just how to get there with the element of surprise and when to attack.

We would have talked more but Chat Noir was close to transforming back and we all had to go back to school, so we said our goodbyes and decided to meet back up at patrol.

That night I left for patrol and found Chat Noir waiting by the place he had dropped me off after the Oogie-Boogie incident. I stopped by him, noticing how he was completely unaware, and grinned. Time for some payback. "Boo!" I shouted from behind him, making him cry out in surprise and turn around to face me.

"Wolven!" He whined, his own ears flattening against his head as I doubled over laughing. "You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"Now you know how I feel!" I teased with a smile, lightly punching his arm. "That's payback for when you scared me!"

Chat Noir huffed and pouted, crossing his arms over his chest. "Fine...." He mumbled, before smiling gently at me and patting my shoulder. "You look much better now. I'm glad to have you back, Wolfy." He said softly, making my own smile grow.

"It's good to be back, Kitkat." I said softly, taking his hand and starting to pull him towards the meeting place for our patrol. "Come on, let's get going."

Chat Noir laughs and grins, letting himself be pulled. "Hey, I've been meaning to ask you something."

"What?" I glanced back at him, my smile never leaving.

"Remember when we just talked and walked around, only the two of us?"

At my nod, he continued. "Then, I was wondering if we could have more of those together. I had fun last time."

"I would love to." I smiled brightly, happy that he wanted to spend more time with me. "I had fun, too." I bit my lip though when I remembered how I had rushed away as quickly as I had. "I am really sorry about leaving so suddenly last time, by the way. I just... I realized something then, and it surprised me so much I had to sort it out."

"What'd you find out?"

I bit my lip, debating if I should tell him or not. After a moment I looked at him again, smiling. "I'll tell you after patrol." I promised, and even though Chat Noir didn't seem to like that idea, he nodded.

"Alright."

A few minutes later we arrived at the actual meeting point with Ladybug and waved to her from where she sat waiting. "Hey, Ladybug!"

She stood up when she saw us, coming over and hugging me. "Welcome back, Wolven! It's been surprisingly lonely without you around."

I laughed, hugging her back. "Yeah, well, I would have been back a few days ago had my Kwami not been overprotective." I said with a small laugh, feeling one of my ears flick in what must have been Neek's irritation cutting through. Ladybug laughed and smiled.

"Well, I think it's sweet."

I nodded, smiling. "He means well."

We went on to patrol and they caught me up a bit more about what had been going on while I was gone. They had talked with Master Fu and learned about their Kwamis and their superhero persona's past, and, as stated before, they had found Hawkmoth's lair. They still had no idea about their identities, though. Apparently, Ladybug still didn't want to breach the topic.

We talked for another hour or so before Ladybug decided to call it a night, heading back home and leaving Chat and I to walk around by ourselves.  We wandered around the town for a little bit before going to the Eiffel Tower and climbing it, sitting on the observation deck with out feet hanging out over the side. It was peaceful.

"So, what'd you want to tell me?" He asked after a few minutes, and I looked over to him again, biting my lip once more.

"Well...." I began hesitantly, looking at him and then back out over the city. "Y'see, I, uh... I know you outside of being a superhero...." I took a deep breath, tensing in anticipation as I said the lasts part, "I... know that you're really Adrien Agreste, Chat." I said softly, looking at him earnestly.

Chat Noir- Adrien, stared at me with wide eyes, shock written all over his features before his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Wait a sec-" Recognizability dawned in his eyes and he sort of squinted at me like he wasn't sure if he was seeing clearly. "Jasper...?"

I smiled weakly and waved at him, ears tilting a little from how unsure I was. "Hi, Adrien." I said softly, and he suddenly broke into a lopsided grin, a bubbly laugh escaping him. He hugged me tightly, nearly squeezing the air from my lungs.

"Oh my god, Jasper! You can talk!" He said excitedly, making me laugh softly as I hugged him back.

"Y-Yeah, I can." I said breathlessly. Chat grabbed my shoulder and pushed back, staring me in the eyes.

"This is amazing! I mean, I had my suspicions but this is- oh my god!" Chat Noir laughed and hugged me again, and I laughed even louder this time.

"You are such a dork." I laughed, tail swaying happily.

Chat Noir laughed and moved away again, eyes twinkling. "Sorry, sorry, I'm just- I'm really happy. This is great, y'know?" He laughed again and leaned back, looking up at the stars. "We can talk without a notepad, and you just seem so much more happy as Wolven. You really look like your having fun. You... You look _free_."

"I _feel_ free. I can breathe more easily, nothing hurts... I can talk like I used to. You never realize how great something is until you lose it, you know?" I sighed, looking up at the stars as well. "....I think I know who Ladybug is, too." I say after a moment of thought, and Adrien laughs.

"We know her in real life, too, don't we?"

"Yep!" I laugh, smiling. "But I won't tell, because she seems rather adamant on not letting anyone know."

"Sounds perfectly reasonable to me." He hummed, and after a moment of thought, spoke again. "Hey, um, do you really not want anything special for your birthday?"

I looked at him again, seeing how he bit his lip and seemed nervous, and I nodded. "Anything I get from you guys is special enough for me. I've already got everything I could ask for." After a moment I added, "Don't spend too much money on me, okay, rich boy?" I smiled, teasing him lightly.

"I got it, I got it. I won't spend too much money." Adrien laughed, bumping his shoulder with mine.

"Hey, while we're on the topic of birthdays, what do you want for your birthday?"

"I'm about to sound like a hypocrite, but anything is fine, as long as it's not a pen." He said, so serious it actually made me laugh. I gave him a thumbs up, grinning.

"You got it." I laughed, and Chat Noir smiled brightly.

"Good."

We fell into comfortable silence, which was sometimes broken by random topics of conversation, and after a while Chat Noir's miraculous beeped. He frowned, staring at the ring. "Aw man, I really have to go?" He grumbled, deflating a little bit. I bit my lip and nudged him gently.

"Hey, we could do this again tomorrow... And maybe we can sneak in a sleepover at some point?"

Adrien looked at me hopefully. "You really want to?"

I nodded quickly, smiling at him. "Yes. Yes I do! Adrien, bud, I love hanging out with you. You and Nino are like, my _best_ friends. I want to give you a high school life every kid deserves, and that includes sleepover and hanging out at night. We're doing it whether your dad likes the idea or not."

At the mention of his dad, Adrien rubbed the back of his neck. "I swear he means well, he just- he's changed since mom disappeared."

I bit my lip and sighed, leaning back and kicking air. "I'm sure he does, but locking you up in your house and controlling almost every minute of your day? That's no life for a boy our age. That's no life for anyone." I looked at him, smiling at him reassuringly. "You're an amazing son, Adrien. You do as your told and that's great, but... You deserve to have fun."

Adrien sighed, standing and stretching. I quickly focused my eyes to his face and forced them to stay there. Whose idea was it to give Chat Noir that suit? Seriously, teenage hormones are a bad thing paired with that suit.

"Yeah, well... Nino's been telling me that same thing for a year now."

"So what's stopping you from listening?" I stood as well, nudging him again. "Come on, let's go before your Kwami gets upset and changes you back." I said softly, and after a nod from Adrien, we started off towards his house. We traveled in silence and the closer we got to his house, the more Adrien seemed to dread going back. I nudged him again and he smiled at me.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I guess. I'll see you tomorrow, right?"

"You know it." I smiled brightly, and hugged him when we reached the gate to his house. "Sleep well, Adrien. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, see you later, Jasper." He went over the gate and went to his bedroom window, entering his room after a moment. I waved to him once more and went home, detransforming once I was in my room. Neeks gave me a cheeky smile, tail swishing as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"You like him~" He sang, making me blush. He laughed and nuzzled my cheek before flying over to bed, yawning. "Anyway, it's pretty late. Let's go to sleep, yeah?"

I nodded once more, and after getting ready for bed, crawled right in, sighing happily and curling up under the sheets. I fell asleep moments later.


	27. 15 and Growing

The morning of my 15th birthday, I was sleeping quite peacefully when a loud _POP!_ caused me to jerk awake, flailing as I quickly covered Neeks with my sheets so my mom wouldn't see him.

A second later I felt paper confetti fall onto my head and shoulders, and Mom was giggling, one of those party poppers in her hands. "Happy birthday, Jaspie!" She cheered, even as I glowered at her from the annoyance of being awakened so surprisingly. She just grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet, getting rid of the confetti on my person as my scowl turned into a smile with a roll of my eyes.

"There we go, all nice and happy!" She hummed, lightly patting my cheek before leaning down and kissing my forehead. My smile grew and I gently started to push her outside my room, wanting to get dressed. Mom pouted, turning to look back at me. "Aw, already?"

I nodded, closing the door once she was outside and quickly getting dressed after letting Neeks come out of hiding. The small Kwami immediately flew over, hugging my cheek and nuzzling it. "Happy birthday!" He cheered, giggling and soon flying off to do something as I got dressed. A moment after I finished getting dressed, Neeks flew back over with a feather accessory wrapped with a loose ribbon. "Here's your present!" He chimed, flying over and handing me the hair accessory. It was two, probably medium sized, feathers from a small bird, and a small greenish-blue feather that was undoubtedly from a hummingbird wrapped at the tips with dark metal that made a small loop. They shimmered in an almost magical way when they managed to catch the light.

Neeks looked so proud as he handed it to me, and I smiled at him in thanks. "The big, reddish one is from a Red Tailed Hawk, the slightly smaller black one is from a crow, and the smallest one is from a ruby-throated hummingbird." Neeks explained, taking the accessory once I removed the ribbon and flying closer to my hair. He pushed some aside and started tying it into threads of my hair, being extremely careful as he did. I think he also used some sort of Kwami-magic or something to make it stay, because that was not how these were traditionally put in, I'm sure. "I made it myself, with my powers, which is why it kind of shines a bit." He continued to explain, and soon he moved away from my hair, smiling brightly. "Perfect! Now your really one of my pups!" He nearly squealed, flying around my head happily.

I silently chuckled, looking over to the mirror to see how they looked. They laid flat against my hair, curling inwards instead of sticking far out. They stood out extremely well against the white of my hair, and the small hummingbird feather was able to hide itself surprisingly well, only flashing itself to be seen when I moved my head a certain way. I carefully grabbed Neeks, hugging him tightly and nuzzling him in thanks.

"You're very welcome, Jasper! Now, I need to let you know that this _can't_ touch the ground, okay? It'll be fine if you are laying down on the ground but don't roll over onto it or anything. I used my magic to let it stay on, much like the masks when you and the others are in superhero form, but I just need to be very clear about this."

I gave him and nod, meeting his eyes to let him know I was serious about this, and after hiding Neeks away in my jacket pocket with his daily supply of candy, I walked out of my room.

I was immediately tackled by my mom, once again, and she squealed happily when she saw the feathers. "Oh, is that an early present from someone? It looks so beautiful!" She said happily, leading me to the kitchen and making me sit down before putting a stack of chocolate chip pancakes in front of me and a neatly wrapped present. "Open your first present before you eat! I'll give you the other two after school."

I nodded, carefully tearing open the present. I smiled, looking at the book that had been wrapped. It was a book series I had found interest in a few months ago, called the _Brandywine Investigations: Open for Business_. I wasn't old enough to buy it, though, because it was an 18+ book. I looked at mom, a little surprised that she even bought it for me. She smiled, laughing softly. "I looked through it a bit before I wrapped it. As much as I don't want you to partake in anything sex-like just yet, I know you're old, and mature, enough to be able to read them. Also, if you don't want to read the sex scenes then you can just skip a few paragraphs." She said, ruffling my hair and being careful not to touch the feathers.

I smiled and hugged her tightly, thanking her for the book. She patted my hair and I let go after a moment, and she hummed. "I'm glad you like it. Now, eat your breakfast and finish getting ready. You have to go to school soon." She kissed the top of my head and went to get ready for her day, leaving me to eat my food. I quickly ate my food, giving Neeks a small piece once more. He ate it happily, tail wagging as he enjoyed the taste.

I petted him gently and when I was done eating went to finish getting ready for school, putting my new book on the top of my bookcase so I remembered to read it. When I was done getting ready, I stopped by mom's studio and kissed her cheek goodbye before leaving for school, smiling when I saw all my friends waiting by the steps. I guess they had all come early today. I smiled and waved to them, running over to them.

"Happy birthday!" They all said, Adrien and Nino hugging me tightly. I hugged them tightly in return, and when they moved back the girls were hugging me next. I laughed breathily and hugged them back as well. When they moved back, Marinette handed me a present, smiling happily. "Here, you can open it now or later, it doesn't really matter."

I smiled and opened the thin box, seeing a red handmade beanie hat inside. On the inside of the edge was Marinette's signature in that fancy spiral pattern in silver thread. I smiled in thanks and put the beanie on, and Marinette clapped. "Oh, it looks great!"

Alya smiled and handed me her gift next. "Here you go." She hummed, and when I opened the small box, found a small metal wolf phone charm, big blue eyes staring up at me. I smiled happily, and Nino gave me his gift next.

When I opened his gift, it was a pair of black, tangle free headphones, which are those headphones that look like zippers. My smile only grew, and Nino smiled as well, giving me another hug before moving back to let Adrien give me his gift.

Adrien smiled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck shyly. "I wasn't really sure what to get you, so... I hope you like this." When he stepped closer he leaned in close to my ear and said, "I have another part to give you later tonight, when we're on patrol." I felt a faint amount of heat settle in my cheeks and I nodded, taking the gift from him when it was handed over. I opened the long and thin box to see a silver charm bracelet with only two charms on it right now; a J with four small red, hopefully fake, crystals running down the side and an intricately made key, spaced evenly apart for another charm or two to fit between them. I glanced up at Adrien, then the charm bracelet, and I think the heat in my cheeks grew even more as I smiled brightly, hugging him tightly in thanks.

Adrien laughed as he hugged me back, patting the back of my head. "You really like it that much?" I nodded quickly, ignoring the small giggles from the other three, and quickly moved back, holding out the charm bracelet and my wrist while giving him a pleading look. The other three laughed a little louder, and I could only assume it was because I probably looked like a small child with the way I was giving Adrien puppy dog eyes while waiting for him to put the bracelet on for me. Adrien laughed and took the bracelet from the box, carefully clasping it around my wrist.

I smiled again and when he was done, quickly began to write in my notebook. "Thank you all so much for the gifts! I love them!" I showed them my message and Alya just ruffled my hair through Marinette's hat, and the topic quickly changed from their gifts to what my mom got me and the feathers in my hair.

"So, the feathers are new! Who gave you them, or was it a self-indulgent kind of thing?" Nino asked as we all walked inside the school. I gave Adrien a knowing look before quickly writing, "A friend sent them to me back from America. They thought they would look good on me."

"Well, they were right! They bring out your hair and eyes, and what the heck is with the way they shine? I don't think I've ever seen feather extensions do that!" Alya said with a bit of surprise, and I just smiled and shrugged, until she looked at Adrien with a sly look. "Don't you think he looks good with feathers in his hair, Adrien?"

"Yeah, they make him look even pr- nicer." Adrien quickly changed whatever he was going to say, his cheeks flushing lightly. "They make him look even nicer compared to before."

Marinette hummed in thought as she looked between us two before nodding in confirmation at whatever the heck she had been trying to figure out, and Nino holding back a laugh while Alya just looked smug.

\-------

The day went by like normal, and I guessed good luck was smiling down on me because no Akuma attack happened all day. When I got home, mom fawned over the gifts my friends had given me (which now included a lovely leather bound journal courtesy of Nathanael) and had me open her other gifts. I laughed the best I could at one of them, finding an exact replica of the outfit that one creepy tentacle Akuma destroyed, and the other was a super soft blanket with Jack Skellington's face on it.

That night when I went to patrol, I was actually really excited to see what the rest of Adrien's present was for me. We had decided he would give me the rest of it after patrol when we were alone, since Ladybug had no idea when my birthday was.

Reaching our meeting spot, Ladybug smiled when she saw me. "Hey Wolven!" She said happily, waving when I came over.

"Hi Ladybug."

"You got feathers in your hair?" She asked, motioning to the feathers that stayed in my hair. I nodded slightly, smiling.

"Yeah, a friend gave them to me and helped me put them in."

"Well, they look great." Ladybug smiled and hummed, looking out over the town. "Did you have a nice day?"

"Yeah, it was fun. What about you?"

"It was nice. My friend's birthday was today and he liked my gift, so I'm pretty happy."

"That's great!" I smiled, nudging her lightly. "What'd you get him, if you don't mind me asking."

Ladybug giggled and waved her hand dismissively. "I don't mind. I made him a red beanie hat. It goes really well with his hair and eyes."

"Ooh~ you _made_ him the hat?" I smiled, and she nodded, blushing lightly.

"Yeah, he really seemed to like it."

"Well, that's wonderful. Are you planning to become a fashion designer?" I asked, and Ladybug bit her lip.

"Yeah. I want to work for Gabriel Agreste some day."

This time, I bit my lip. "Really? I hear he hasn't been all that forgiving the past few years. Why not start you own brand, instead?" Ladybug seemed hesitant to answer, shrugging in response.

"I don't know. I just think I might be more successful under him."

"That might happen, but I wouldn't hold your breath." A new voice chimed in, making the two of us jump in surprise. I turned to see Chat Noir , my tail wagging excitedly.

"Hi, Kitkat!"

"What do you mean, 'I shouldn't hold my breath'?" Ladybug asked, frowning slightly as she crossed her arms over her chest. Chat Noir bit his lip and rubbed the back of his neck, walking over after a moment.

"I'm sorry, Milady, but I've heard about rookie designers leaving his company with no desire to continue fashion while bawling their eyes out. He's super harsh."

Ladybug huffed softly, her frown growing a little. "Well, he's already seen one of my designs and he liked it! His son was supposed to wear it at a photo shoot but he was allergic to something I added to the hat, so I'm pretty sure they dropped the idea."

I could see Chat's cheeks turn red from his words, and I nodded in understanding. "Well hey, accidents happen. He loved your design, that's all that matters." I smiled at them, crossing my arms over my chest. "Can we patrol, now?"

"Yeah, we probably should." Ladybug smiled and swung her yoyo, letting it catch on the sign she had it on and giving it a tug to make sure it stayed. "You know the drill, call if you spot something that needs our help, meet up at the Eiffel Tower when done!"

I saluted to her, smiling and nodding, and Chat Noir gave her a thumbs up before we all went our separate ways for patrol.

Tonight, unsurprisingly, was a rather easygoing night. No surprise Akuma attacks, and no stupid people decided to try and commit any kind of crime, either. At least not on my end. I did get noticed by people, though, and gladly conversed with a few just to see how things had been going that evening.

While I was talking to one such person, my wolf ears ears picked up the sound of a girl crying, which made me frown. "Sorry," I apologized, smiling at the police officer I had been talking to, "I need to go. Thank you for catching me up on what's been going on, though!" I quickly ran off, following the sound until I found a girl no older than five or- wait a second. This was the same girl from Oogie-Boogie's attack. She was separated from her mother again?

The littler girl was standing against the apartment complex, bawling her little eyes out as she held onto a stuffed beagle and a small dark blue shopping bag. She also had a small scrape on her knee. I looked around to see if I could find the girl's mother, but no luck. I went over to her, crouching down in front of her and wrapping my tail around my legs so it wouldn't get stepped on. There was a surprising amount of tourists around tonight.

"Excuse me, little one?" I asked softly, smiling at her as she sniffles and slowly started to meet my eyes. They widened slightly when she realized who I was. "Did you lose track of your mommy again?"

The little girl shook her head quickly, and I hummed a little. "Then, did you lose track of daddy?"

She quickly nodded, a small whimper escaping her as she tried to wipe at her tears. "Tell me what happened?" I asked, moving to sit next to her. She moved closer to me, accidentally stepping on my tail as she did. I held in my wince, and picked her up to set her in my lap, facing me. She stared up at me with watery brown eyes and started her story.

"D-Daddy was t-taking me Christmas shopping, a-and he told me to stay close to him e-even though he agreed I was a big girl now. W-We were in a store a-and when I saw something M-Momma would like in another store I-I went to get it without telling Daddy." She sniffled, starting to cry again. I ran my hand through her hair, trying to calm her down. "When I went back to show Daddy, h-he had disappeared. I tried to find him but I didn't know where I was and I tripped a-and I'm scared....!" She started bawling her eyes out again and I shushed her, pulling her close into a hug.

"Hey, hey, it's okay. I'll help you find him, alright?"

"R-Really?"

I nodded, and checked her scrape. It looked like it would be okay, but some Neosporin would probably be helpful right about now. "Well, I'm afraid I don't have anything to help your scrape. Is there anything you have that might help?"

"M-Mommy always kisses it better.... C-Can you do that?"

I nodded, smiling at her. "Of course, sweetie." I had her stand up again, and gently kissed the small scrape on her knee. "Better?" I asked, standing up and lifting her into my arms. She nodded as she wrapped her arms around my neck, which, after a few careful minutes of breathing and making sure I didn't react badly to it in front of the little girl, I was okay with. She wrapped her legs around my waist, and I could feel her shopping bag and beagle lightly hitting my back as I jumped up to the rooftops.

"What's your name?" I asked, and she back a little to look at me as she spoke. "Evangelique." She said softly, a small blush forming on her cheeks when I smiled brightly at her.

"Evangelique? That's a beautiful name for a beautiful girl such as yourself! Do you mind if I call you Angel?" I chuckled softly as her blush only deepened and she ducked her head, trying to hide her face underneath her short blonde hair as she very quickly shook her head.

"What does your daddy look like, Angel?" I asked as I walked along the rooftops, scanning the crowd for anyone who seemed to be frantically looking for their daughter.

She pouted as she thought about this, eyebrows furrowing as she concentrated very hard. "He has blonde hair styled like yours but a bit shorter, and really pretty blue eyes like mommy does! He was wearing a black and white scarf and a long gray coat!"

"Thank you, sweetie." I rubbed her back gently, looking for someone who hopefully fit that description. After a few moments, Angel broke the silence that had fallen on us.

"Wolven, did you get feathers in your hair?" She asked, and I felt the shopping bag change hands before she was reaching up to touch the feathers in my hair. I nodded, smiling as I felt her hands go from my hair to my wolf ears. She let out a pleased sound as she played with them, and I chuckled. It tickled to have her play with them.

"Why'd you get feathers?"

"They were a birthday present."

At that, Angel pulled away quickly, her hands moving to my shoulders as I adjusted my grip on her to keep her from falling. She stared at me with a surprisingly serious look, although it had excitement in it, too.

"Wait, today's your birthday?!"

I nodded, and Angel gasped, hugging me tightly. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" She squealed right into my ear, making me wince and hold a hand up to that ear. She looked at me sheepishly as I rubbed it. "Sorry...."

"It's okay." I laughed softly, ruffling her hair before returning my hand to it's position of holding the girl up. She quickly grew excited again, chattering on about things that I was sad to have to block out. I needed to use my hearing to find her father, and it was difficult to do if she was talking my ear off. She seemed to notice, though, and pouted as she fell silent, poking my nose and then my cheek before she started playing with my ears again.

A few more minutes later and something caught my attention, my ear flicking as it registered the faint sound.

"..lique!.... where... Sweetie?!" I smiled a little, looking down at the small crowds of people. I spotted a man with blonde hair running through the streets, hands cupped around his mouth as he continued to call for someone. A black and white scarf trailed in the wind behind him, still securely wrapped around his neck. "Evangelique, where are you?!"

I smiled, nudging Evangelique gently. I could tell she was getting drowsy. "Angel, sweetheart. I think I found your dad." At this, the young girl's head snapped up, all traces of tiredness gone.

"Really?!"

I nodded, jumping down to the ground and starting towards her father. "Yep. Now hold onto your bag and your toy tightly, okay? I don't want you to loose either of them." Evangelique nodded quickly, her grip tightening on her things before I started running after the man.

"Excuse me, sir! Sir!" The man stopped, looking around. Of course, other men on the street did too, but they soon went about their business when they caught sight of me. "Sir, I found something you've been looking for!"

"Daddy!" Evangelique yelled, turning her head to face him. Her father turned at the sound of her voice, his eyes widening when he saw us.

"Evangelique!" He cried happily as I put her down, letting her run the rest of the short distance to him. He knelt down and hugged her tightly, a small sob of relief escaping him. "I was so worried! What have I told you about going off on your own?!"

"I'm sorry, Daddy." She apologized, hugging her father back as tight as she could. She quickly moved back, though, smiling and excitement in her eyes. "Wolven helped me!" She pointed to me, and her dad looked up, eyes widening when he saw me. I held back letting out a surprised whistle. This girl had a gorgeous father. His skin was pale and his hair was definitely shorter than mine, but it framed his face wonderfully, although his bangs happened to hide his blue eyes. If demigod's were real, I would have pegged him as a son of Apollo.

"I- thank you so much. I had no idea where she had gone. I looked away for one moment and she had just disappeared!"

"It's no problem, really. These things happen from time to time. As long as she's okay, that's all that matters." I paused for a moment, before  leaning down to Evangelique's eye level. "Promise me you won't leave your mother or your father's side again?"

Evangelique nodded quickly, clutching her doll to her chest as she ducked her head. The tops of her ears were a light pink.

I laughed softly and straightened, her father smiling at me. "I really can't thank you enough."

Young Angel seemed to regain her energy once again, though, as she jumped up and down and tugged on her father's coat. "Daddy, daddy! It's Wolven's birthday! Can we get him a gift? Pleeeeeaaaaasssseeee?" Evangelique asked, whining slightly on her "please".

Her father raised an eyebrow at me, and I blushed from embarrassment, rubbing the back of my head and laughing nervously. "You really don't have to."

The man smiled, laughing happily. "No, you found my daughter. A birthday present is the least I can do."

My eyes widened and I shook my head quickly, gesturing with my arms as well. "No, really. You _really_ don't have to."

The man laughed again and even Angel giggled, making me hide my face in embarrassment. Neeks gently reminded me that I needed to finish patrol, and I sighed in defeat. "Alright," I sighed, lifting up my head as I did and smiling at the two. "If you really want to give me something, meet me at the Eiffel Tower in about an hour. I need to finish patrol and meet up with Ladybug and Chat Noir, but I'll be there for a while."

Evangelique squealed happily, jumping up and down, and I laughed, waving goodbye to the two and jumping onto the rooftops again.

When I made it to the Eiffel Tower, I was the last one to arrive. I hummed as I jumped to the meeting point about halfway up, waving to the other two.

"What took you so long, Wolven?" Chat Noir asked, worry in his eyes.

"A little girl was lost, and I had to help her find her dad."

At that, Chat Noir relaxed, sighing softly in relief. "Oh, okay. Were they alright?"

"The girl had a little scrape on her knee, but other than that she was fine. She probably almost gave her dad a heart attack, though, considering how scared he was when he couldn't find her."

"Well, it's a good thing you found her before someone else did." Ladybug sighed, smiling. Were there no other problems?"

"Nope. Did you guys do well?"

"Nothing special happened in either of our patrol areas." Ladybug smiled, yawning softly into her palm. "Anyway, I think it's time we head home. See you tomorrow, guys."

"Yeah, see you." We waved goodbye to Ladybug, watching her leave. Chat Noir stretched again, smiling at me. "Alright. Now then, I want to give you your next gift." Chat grinned, opening one of the pockets and pulling out a small box wrapped with a bow.

I laughed softly, taking the gift from him. "What is it?"

"Open it and you'll see!"

I laughed again, nodding and opening it carefully. My eyes widened when I saw another charm for the bracelet he had given me, this one being my favorite so far and obviously custom made. It was a cat with green gems for eyes draping itself over a wolf that was on its back, the intricate details of the charm making it look like the wolf was clearly smiling. The wolf had blue and red gems for its eyes. I looked from the charm to Adrien, and he laughed softly.

"I thought it would be nice to have a charm representing our superhero personas... So, I had one custom made. I know you aid not to spend too much, but I couldn't help it." He said shyly, looking away nervously. I laughed softly and hugged him, being careful not to drop the charm.

"Are you kidding? It's perfect! Quick, put it on!" I quickly sat down and had Neeks detransform since we were too high up for anyone to see. Chat's eyes widened and I held out my wrist with the charm bracelet on it as well as the charm, pouting up at him as if to say "Hurry up." Neeks laughed softly beside me, floating over to Adrien. "He's such a child, isn't he?" He teased, making me blush darkly.

Adrien blinked, snapping out of his surprise that I detransformed so readily in front of him. He knelt down to be level with me now that I was sitting. He took the charm and the chain of the bracelet in his hands, before carefully clipping the new charm between the other two. I shook my wrist a little, smiling when I heard them clink together, and hugged Chat. He laughed and hugged me back, patting my back lightly.

"I'm really glad you like it."

"He loves it. I'm pretty sure it's his favorite gift, although mine was a close second." Neeks said cheekily, flying between us when I broke the hug and puffing his chest out proudly. I blushed darkly and poked him, making him laugh.

Adrien laughed as well, reaching out to pet Neeks. "So _you're_ the one who gave him the feathers."

"Yep! Like them? Doesn't he look pretty? I think he looks pretty! He's my pretty pup!" Neeks started to ramble on, shockingly hyper. I frown and feel in my pocket to see if he had somehow gotten into candy he wasn't supposed to, but feel nothing different from usual. I even pulled out the wrappers to check the candy type.

Chat Noir laughed more, his smile still spread across his face as he nodded along with what Neeks was saying before cutting him off. "They look great. By the way, what's your name?"

Neeks smiled brightly, "My name is Mo-" He quickly cut himself off from whatever he was going to say, already continuing his answer, "Neeks. My name is Neeks!" I tilted my head and stared at him, curious about the name that he had started to say. Was Neeks not his real name? That's what he told me to call him when we met, though. After a moment I shrugged, not particularly minding the possible secret as long as Neeks was honest with me about other, more important things.

Neeks told Adrien as much about himself as he told me, then transformed me back into Wolven so that we could wander around town together like we have the past few weeks. I sighed when the transformation was done, smiling at Chat Noir.

"Sorry about that. He was unnaturally hyper tonight. I think he may have found where I stashed the chocolate."

"It's fine. He was actually really fun to talk to. He's a lot nicer than my Kwami." Chat Noir smiled, still chuckling a little from all the laughing Neeks had caused. I laughed too, shaking my head. "He told me about your little black cat. Rather crude, huh?"

"Yeah, that's one way to put it." Adrien sighed, leaning back a little. I gently bumped my shoulder to his, smiling gently at him.

"Hey, he's only doing what he thinks is best for you." I said softly, before my ear flicked as it picked up something.

Chat's ear did the same, and he frowned slightly while I straightened up, a smile stretching onto my face. "Why is...?"

"It's lovely little Angel!" I cheered with a laugh, tugging gently on Adrien's wrist as I slipped off the edge of the beam we were on to drop down to the ground. Instinctively Chat quickly wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me close, grabbing his baton and extending it so we'd land safely. I laughed happily the entire time, and knelt to the ground when he landed, holding out my arms to let the small girl run and hug me. Her father had a wrapped box in his hands, and was walking instead of running towards us. I hugged Evangelique back and stood up, turning to Chat to explain. "This is the girl I told you about earlier. See, she found out it was my birthday, and she and her father were adamant on giving me a birthday gift in return for helping her."

Chat's confusion was quickly replaced with understanding, and he smiled, taking the girl's hand and kissing it like he would a princess. "Well then, it's so lovely to meet you, young Angel. Thank you for being so kind to my friend here." Evangelique stared at him in awe, her cheeks red from both cold and Chat's innocent kiss to her hand.

Her father reached us a moment later, chuckling into his scarf now that it was pulled up closer to his face. "Goodness, boys, stop making my daughter fall head over heels for you or she'll never fall for anyone else."

"Daddy!" Evangelique cried, her face turning red so fast steam nearly puffed out from her ears. Chat and I laughed , and I set her down again.

"Sorry, sir. I'm also sorry to keep you out so late. I'm sure your wife must be worried."

The man waved his hand dismissively, a smile on his face as he pulled his scarf down a bit. "I called and explained things to her. Also, she isn't my wife, just my girlfriend. Eva here just likes to call her mommy since it's easier than "Daddy's Girlfriend"."

"Ah, I see. Sorry for assuming, then." I apologized, bowing my head a little. The man chuckled again.

"No worries. Anyway, here is your gift. Eva insisted we get you this."

The box was definitely the biggest one I received today, making me curious as to what it was. It made me feel bad, though, because I'm sure whatever it is was expensive. "Really, you didn't have to spend so much-"

"Oh, shush. Just open it, okay? To be honest, it probably isn't as expensive as you're thinking." Evangelique's father said sternly, the kind smile still on his face as Angel clung to my side.

I bit my lip, nodding, and opened the package to see a medium-sized stuffed wolf inside of it. The wolf was grey, and it's eyes were blue. I lifted it from the box, and Evangelique nearly screamed, "Press it's paw!"

I did as she said, feeling for a place to press and finding it in the left front paw of the toy. I pressed the paw and Evangelique's voice chimed happily, "Happy Birthday! Thank you for helping me!" At the top of her lungs. At that moment, I realized that this wasn't any stuffed animal, it was one from Build-a-Bear. My eyes widened, looking down at a proud Evangelique to her father. He smiled knowingly, and I smiled back.

I don't know why, but I was starting to feel my eyes fill with tears as I hugged the toy close with one arm and hugged Evangelique with the other. "Thank you, Evangelique. You really are a sweet little angel." I said softly, making her giggle and hug me tighter.

"I'm really glad you liked it, Wolven." She said happily, before I let her go and moved back and down to be at her height.

"I loved it. But you know what I want you to do now?"

"What?" She asked innocently, tilting her head to the side.

"I want you to go home with your father and get some sleep, alright?"

Angel nodded quickly, giving me one last hug before shyly going over to Chat Noir and holding her arms out for a hug. Chat Noir smiled, laughing faintly as he hugged her tightly, ruffling her hair afterwards. "Will I see you guys again?" She asked softly after going to back to her dad.

"Hopefully. But this time, Angel, please do try to let it be _with_ your family instead of away from it, okay sweetheart?"

She nodded quickly, blushing lightly, and her father picked her up. "We'll be sure to keep her in our sights from now on, I promise."

With that, they went on their way, Chat Noir and I waving goodbye. When they were gone, Adrien looked over to me. "You okay? You looked like you were going to cry."

"Yeah, I'm okay... I don't really know what happened there."

"Well, happy birthday, Jasper. It was great experiencing it with you." Adrien hugged me tightly, and I couldn't help but agree.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Symbolism of the feathers in Jasper's hair-
> 
> Crow feather: balance, release from past beliefs, skill and cunning  
> Hawk feather: guardianship, strength, and far-sightedness  
> Hummingbird feather: love, beauty, intelligence- a spirit messenger and stopper of time


	28. Memories and Growing Closer

Adrien and I wandered around for a few more hours, talking and just playing around. We lost track of time, and it was almost surprising how neither of our miraculouses beeped since it grew later into the evening. We were the only ones awake, now, aside from anyone on a night shift. Currently we were wandering somewhere along the length of the Seine River, and I was balancing along the bridge rail as we crossed it, holding my arms out to balance myself.

"Alright, Adrien. Tell me one of your favorite memories from when you were little." I said, smiling at him with a toothy grin. Adrien hummed, lightly holding his chin in thought. He lit up when he got one, a small "Aha!" escaping him.

"My mom loved to cook and make all sorts of things. She'd kick our chefs out of the kitchen for an hour or two once every week, and she'd take me into the kitchen to let me help her while she cooked." He said fondly, smiling up at the star-filled sky above us. "I'd mix anything she wanted me to mix and would sometimes help her at the stove. Whenever we would make a desert, half the time we'd end up covered in flour or smudges of batter." He laughed as he said the last part, looking over to me after a moment.

"This one time, when I was four, I was helping her make a surprise batch of chocolate peppermint brownies to congratulate Father on something- I.. Don't remember what."

"Wait, your dad likes _chocolate peppermint brownies_?" I asked with a smile, disbelief in my voice.

" _Yes_ , he does. But when we were there, Mom had me measuring all the ingredients and handing them to her while she mixed them together, while listening to the radio. Did you know that my father is scarily silent when it comes to walking around? Because mom and I, we were lost in our own little world and I guess we must have timed it wrong, or Father had come home early, but he walked into the kitchen to say hi and Mom was so startled she turned turned around so fast, dad's entire face was covered."

Adrien laughed again while I chuckled, slipping my feet off the railing to sit on it instead as I listened. "His face was completely blank, and I remember thinking 'He's going to get mad at us. He's not happy.' and then he had grinned, grabbed the flour bag, and taken a gigantic handful of it before throwing it at mom and I. Mom had squealed and thrown some back at him before shaking her hair out over me. Then, it had turned into a huge food fight- although it was really only flour and chocolate power we used. That was probably the first and only time the kitchen staff had the courage to scold us for getting the entire kitchen messy and _not_ finish making something."

I laughed, smiling at Adrien as I kicked my feet back and forth over the river. "Wow, so your dad really _wasn't_ always so terrible. That's a refreshing thought."

Adrien shrugged, leaning against the railing next to me. "Yeah, well, I miss the old him. I still don't get why it was such a big change, though. It just... Doesn't make sense." He looked down sadly, almost like a kicked puppy, and I felt my heart ache a little. He shouldn't look like that. He should _never_ look like that.

"...Well, whatever happened to your mom probably hit him hard." I said softly, "He just wants to protect you, but he doesn't understand how. It's scary, I think. Being a single parent. Mom was terrified for multiple reasons after my accident. She's a lot better now, but for a while we were both pretty screwed up. Our old neighborhood didn't help any, either. Everyone kept whispering about what happened and I had nightmares almost constantly- it was not a good time."

Adrien bit his lip, looking over to me warily. "Jasper.... W-what exactly happened that time, if you don't mind me asking?" I bit my lip next, before throwing my head back and sighing loudly.

"Well, I guess you do deserve the full story after the Oogie-Boogie incident-" I paused, realizing something as I looked back at Adrien, "By the way, there haven't been any more Akuma like him, have there? Whatever happened to that lady?"

Adrien blinked from the sudden question, before his eyebrows furrowed in thought. "That's... A good question. Maybe she's just waiting to see how things play out with Hawkmoth...?"

I hummed and shrugged. "I guess. Well, anyway, time for a rather depressing story that I will lighten up with _my_ favorite childhood memory afterwards." I cleared my throat slightly, taking a deep breath to steady myself as I started the story.

"It was 3 years ago, four in February, when my accident happened. A few days prior to what happened, I had gone to look for dad at his work because mom was out of town for personal matters. I don't remember what they were, though. Anyway, I was at dad's workplace because I couldn't be at home alone. Bad stuff was going on in our neighborhood at the time and mom was worried something might happen if I was by myself with no one to protect me, blah blah blah, back to the main story. I couldn't find him in the usual places I could find him; the break lounge, his office, etc. One of his coworkers saw me and told me to try the basement- apparently he had been going down there a lot recently."

"What exactly did your father work in?" Adrien asked, and I thought for a minute.

"It was like.... Clinical stuff. Not necessarily a doctor's office nor was it an emergency care, but were a medical company that took in patients from time to time. Dad mainly did paperwork or prescribed medicine." I said after a moment, looking over to Adrien. He hummed and nodded, motioning for me to continue. "Alright, well, I went down to the basement, and fro a while it smelled rather nice, like pines or vanilla, or some other string air freshener, but then the smell became disgusting about halfway down the steps. Like drugs and...." I paled, remembering what I had seen before quickly shaking my head and making an X with my arms out of habit. "No, no. You do not want to know what I saw. Let's just say... It was illegal, and Dad's boss along with a few of the doctors and his coworkers would be furious and appalled when they found out." I took a deep breath again, gripping the railing tightly as I continued.

"Dad was down there, though, and he was _furious._ He made me promise I wouldn't tell anyone, and I obeyed without question. I thought it was gross and disgusting, but I didn't bother arguing or telling, out of fear for my own life. He was off the deep end, probably halfway gone with drugs and his other accomplices. Anyway, the day of the accident it was storming really hard, and mom was supposed to come back that night. School had gone fine, and I had gone home because Dad didn't want me at his work anymore. I was fine with that, though. The further away from him, the better.

"I was worried mom wouldn't be able to make it home in this weather, and was so engrossed in this fact I didn't realize dad was already home. That wasn't normal. He usually came home two or three hours after I did, when it was darker out. I had gone inside, and dad was on the couch drinking away. He looked towards me when I opened the door, and.... Well, he was not happy. He lunged at me with a killing intent practically radiating around him and a crazy look in his eyes, spouting all sorts of nonsense that I had told his company about what was happening in their basement even though I hadn't spoken a word of it to anyone. He was an Akuma all by himself- heck, Hawkmoth would be jealous of how much rage he had!"

I jumped slightly when I felt Adrien's hand on my shoulder. I didn't realize I had started shaking. He looked like he was going to stop me but I just smiled at him and continued on, "He chased me around the house, and I screamed bloody murder hoping the neighbors would hear me. I knew there were a few people home on our street, and I just needed them to hear me. I know I should have gone outside and run as far away as possible, but my mind wasn't working at the time. Eventually he pinned me against the back wall of the hallway upstairs, and he had a big bottle of Hydrochloric acid in his hand. He looked insane as he pinned me there and forced my mouth open. I tried to pull away but the acid just splashed into my skin instead. It burned real bad."

"Jasper-"

"Let me finish, Adrien. You should know." I said sternly, looking Adrien in the eyes until he backed down. I looked back down at the water, worrying at my lip a little before continuing. "He... He pressed his arm against my chest and my throat to keep me still as he pried my mouth open. H-He took the bottle and right before he started to pour it down my throat told me 'Tattle tails should lose their ability to tattle.' and then all I felt was pain as the acid practically destroyed my throat, lungs, and stomach. At that point I hear a terrified scream and a gunshot, and then all I know after that is blackness until I woke up in the hospital. They.... They told me it was a miracle I survived. The acid had destroyed all my vocal cords and was close to destroying my lungs. The damage to my stomach was surprisingly minimal, although I couldn't hold anything down for about a week. I had permanent scarring along my neck and it took months for everything that was going to heal, heal completely.

"Dad was sentenced to prison for life, but the police officer who had shot him had killed him. The officer was suspended for like, half a year, and I felt really bad. He was just protecting me. He didn't deserve to be suspended. But there were people shouting police brutality that didn't seem to care that he saved my life and the department had to do something. The officer willingly let himself be suspended. Mom and I visited him often during his suspension, and his family was really kind. They helped us get back on our feet, and he helped me get over the fear of men I had developed. They also suggested a really good doctor that I could see about the nightmares and hallucinations I experienced. She diagnosed me with PTSD and gave me the prescription for pills I need to take. I still can't handle people touching or really seeing my neck, though."

Adrien looked terribly sad when I finished my story, and then he hugged me as tight as he could. "I'm so, so sorry." He said softly, and I hugged him back.

"It's in the past now." I said after a moment, patting his back lightly before gently pushing him away. "Now, here's my one of my favorite childhood memories. I was nine years old, and my birthday had fallen onto a school day that year, like normal. Third grade wasn't my favorite school experience, but the teacher was funny and let me and a few other people spend lunch in her classroom instead of in the cafeteria because we didn't handle crowds and loud areas well. And the library was as awesome as any elementary school can get. Anyway, that birthday hadn't really been the best birthday of my life, and I just wanted to go home, cry over homework, and sleep. I had opened any physical presents from my parents that morning.

"When mom came to pick me up she noticed how tired I was, and she took a detour on the way home. She stopped by an old ice cream shoppe that we had in our town and got us malted milkshakes. I thought that was it. It cheered me up a bit, because it was a really nice treat, but after a while I noticed that we still hadn't gone home, much less near it. I asked her about it and she just gave me a secretive smile. Soon enough I had fallen asleep in the car and the next thing I know, we're pulling into the parking lot of a "fun farm"."

Adrien looked at me confused as I said that, "What's a fun farm?"

"It's... Basically a farm that also counts as an amusement park. The one I went to had petting zoos, a really long slide in the dark, little carnival rides for kids, a corn maze, pony rides, a personalized fun house for that farm, camel rides, pig races, and a few other things. Hence the term, fun farm. Anyway, Mom and I spent the rest of the afternoon there, and... Well, I don't know. The day was just really fun. I still don't know if she had always been planning to do that or if it was spur of the moment, but I'm really glad she did it."

Adrien nodded and smiled, and soon we went on our way, heading back to Adrien's house now that the night was getting a little _too_ late. We didn't talk much, now, but we still enjoyed each other's company.

When we reached his home, I hugged him goodnight then made my way home for the evening.


	29. Akuma Exhibition (Part 1)

Seven days later, and it was time for Mom's Exhibition. When we moved here, we had gotten a house with two floors, just for this, and set up all her artwork on the top floor of our house. We had a table off to the side for some food and drinks, and the Dupain-Chengs were setting that up. Neeks was down in my room, laying low unless I needed him.

"I really can't thank you enough for helping me with this." Mom said to the family as she helped me straighten one of her paintings.

"Don't worry about, Mitzy! It's nothing, really. We offered, after all." Madame Dain-Cheng says with a smile.

I smiled as I stepped back to admire the five pictures, as this was my favorite series of them all. She had created a series of paintings of the animals that the superheroes stood for, so there was a small red ladybug, a black cat, and a gray wolf. At first, there was only the cat and the ladybug, but then it shows the wolf coming in and then all three of them as having fun in the last two pictures.

I heard the doorbell ring and motioned that I was going to get it, rushing downstairs and opening the door. I smiled when I saw Adrien, Alya, Nino, waving and letting them in. I pointed upstairs to let them know that was where the art exhibition was.

"Great! Our parents will be by later, after it starts. Although it might not be Adrien's dad." Nino said, sighing a little in disappointment.

"He said he might come by, but the chances of it being Nathalie are a lot higher." Adrien said, smiling a little sadly. I patted his shoulder in a comforting gesture and was about to go upstairs with them when the doorbell rang again. I waved them up and went over to the door, opening it.

I froze when I saw two extremely familiar people, next to someone who I had only caught a glimpse of. The male was trying to reign in the excited little girl bouncing around his feet, a stuffed dog toy clutched title in her hands.

"Evangelique, sweetheart, calm down. You need to be in your best behavior!" The male said, when he noticed me. He blushed slightly in embarrassment and grabbed little Angel, lifting her up and holding her. "Sorry. We made the mistake of letting her had ice cream before coming here. You're Jasper... Right?"

I snapped out of my surprise at seeing Evangelique and her father here, nodding and looking over to the woman. She had long, wavy brown hair with bangs swept over one eye, which were lovely sky blue eyes, and naturally tanned skin that was a tad lighter than Nino's. She was taller than me but shorter than Angel's father, who was probably 5'11. She smiled and waved before speaking.

"Hi, I'm Astrid Gosier, and this is my boyfriend Noel Labelle and his daughter Evangelique." My eyes widened in surprise. Wow, mom wasn't kidding when she said they were gorgeous. I motioned them into the house and pointed upstairs to let them know that was where mom was. Madam Gosier bowed her head a little in thanks. "Your mother has told me so much about you! It's really nice to finally meet you, Jasper."

I nodded and smiled, shaking her hand before writing down, "Likewise." on her palm. I left my notebook in my room since I didn't realize Mom's crushes would be arriving so soon.

"Your eyes are really pretty." Angel said after a moment, and I looked at her, smiling. I pointed to my lips and slowly mouthed "Thank you" to her, and she tilted her head to the side. "Why can't you talk?"

"Eva!" Her father scolded lightly, "You know it's not nice to ask things like that so suddenly!"

I laughed weakly and waved off his concern in an "It's alright" fashion, and held up a finger to tell them to hold on a minute, then went to get my notebook. I came back a moment later and quickly wrote, "I had an accident and my voice doesn't work anymore."

Angel read what I wrote with a serious expression, biting her lip a little before crossing her arms over her chest and nodding sagely. "Okay. I think I get it."

I smiled, quickly writing, "It's nice to meet you." before hearing footsteps coming down the staircase by the door.

"Jasper? Who was at the door, sweetie?" Mom called as she came downstairs. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw who it was, and I held in a snicker as I watched her face quickly turn red. I glanced over to the couple and I tried not to laugh when I saw how both of their cheeks were dusted in pink. Angel looked between the three in confusion before shrugging a little. Mom mumbled something to herself before rushing over and hugging Madam Gosier tightly in greeting. "Hi, Astrid! Thank you for coming!"

Madam Gosier's cheeks darkened a little and she laughed as she hugged Mom back. "Yes, it's wonderful to see you again. Mitzy, I would like you to meet my boyfriend Noel, and his daughter Evangelique." She said as the hug broke apart and she motion to the other two. Mom's smile brightened as she shook Noel's hand and exchanged greetings with him, and she cooed at Angel. "And aren't you just the cutest thing! How old are you, sweetie?"

"Five, ma'am." Angel said shyly, hiding her face in her father's coat collar.

"Five!? Well now, I thought you were surely six!" Mom giggled and held out her hand. "My name is Mitzy, and I'm Jasper's mom. It's nice to finally meet you."

"N-Nice to meet you, too. You and Jasper are really pretty." Evangelique shook mom's hand hesitantly. Mom's blush grew a shade darker and I was sure I was blushing now, too.

"Thank you very much. You're rather beautiful yourself." Mom said softly, smiling again before looking at the adults. "Well, shall we head upstairs? You and Jasper's closest friends are lucky, you get to see everything before everyone else!"

"That sounds lovely, Ms.Wells."

"Please, deary, call me Mitzy." Mom smiled at Evangelique's father, and turned back to the stairs.

"Then you can call me Noel." He said, following her up with Madam Gosier. I trailed behind them, smiling to myself. Hopefully, if all went well, mom would get two lovely significant others before the week was up. When we all got upstairs, Angel let out a loud squeal and scrambled out of her father's arms to the ground much like a monkey, making a beeline for Adrien and the others.

I silently panicked, rushing over with her father.

"Wow, you're the guy on all the pictures around town!!" Angel squealed happily, bouncing up and down in front of Arrien, who just looked lost and a little relieved. The others looked rather amused, but even Marinette was relieved. Adrien knelt down to Evangelique's height, nodding.

"Yes, I am. What's your name?"

"Evangelique! But you can call me Angel or Eva! You're pretty!" Adrien blushed, laughing softly.

"Well, thank you for that, Angel."

I smiled at Angel and ruffled her hair, and she squealed softly, giggling as she bat my hands away. Her father looked apologetically to Adrien. "I'm so sorry, I didn't think she'd climb down me to get to you. She's not a bother, is she?"

"No, it's quite alright!" Adrien quickly assured, standing back up. "She's just excited."

"And hopped up on sugar." I wrote, showing them. Monsieur Labelle laughed softly and nodded, rubbing the back of his head.

"Yes, I'm afraid she is." He bit his lip, looking from Angel to us and then to the girls waiting for him and watching us with amused smiles. "Hey, kids, I have a request..."

I smiled behind my notebook as Marinette asked what his request was, and Monsieur Labelle cleared his throat a little, still blushing faintly. "Could, uh, could you five possibly watch Eva for me? The ladies," He pointed to Madam Gosier and my mom as he said that, "and I have some business to attend to and it'll be a bit difficult with having to watch her at all times as well."

"That won't be a problem, sir! We'll watch her for you." Alya said quickly, and I started to write my own response to him, tugging gently on his sleeve before he left and showing only him what I wrote.

"You, mom, and Madam Gosier would make a really cute relationship. Go for it, I'm positive you have nothing to lose." I added a little winky face and hearts after that, giving him a thumbs up and holding back a laugh as he blushed darkly. He groaned, hiding his face in his hands before reaching up and ruffling my hair.

"You are a smart boy. Any tips?" He said with a small laugh, smiling shyly.

"Be yourself!" I wrote quickly, and he laughed again, nodding. "Also make sure you show that you like them both. I don't think it'll go well if you show only one of them you like them."

"Alright, thank you. I got it." With that, Monsieur Labelle walked back over to Mom and Madam Gosier, and they all began chatting as they wandered around the paintings.

WhenI turned back around everyone was looking at me, Adrien smiling sweetly as he gave me a knowing look, while the other two seemed a little suspicious. Angel was back to staring at me, then Adrien, as she clung to Adrien's side.

I had told Adrien about Mom's love problems during one of our personal outings, and he had thought that it sounded like it might go either way, and that if Madam Gosier was talking about her boyfriend to mom so much, it was possible she was telling her boyfriend all about Mom, and he thought it was possible for them to fall for each other without having met face to face. Clearly, he was right.

"What was that all about?" Nino asked, looking between me and the adults. I smiled and shrugged, putting a finger to my lips as if to say, "Secret."

Alya huffed and crossed her arms over his chest. "Aw, come on! You have to tell us now!! You made the man blush!"

"You find out by the end of the day! .... Probably." I wrote, smirking as all three groaned in annoyance. Marinette looked over to Adrien and frowned.

"Why aren't you upset at not knowing?"

Adrien blinked, his smile disappearing for a moment as he registered her confusion, before it came back a little sheepishly. "Oh, I already know."

"WHAT?!" Alya and Nino cried out, staring at Adrien in shock. He nodded, pointing to me.

"Yeah, he told me a few days ago."

"Dude, that is so not fair!"

I laughed, nearly doubling over from how hard I was laughing. I was actually having a blast with this, since it was kind of like I was getting them back for all the teasing about my crush on Adrien and I was low-key playing matchmaker for my mom. I can see why they do it now. My laughing turned to coughing after a few moments and Adrien rubbed my back sympathetically, Angel looking up at me sadly.

"Are you okay, Jasper?" She asked, walking over and tugging lightly on the bottom of my shirt. I smiled and nodded, catching my breath after a moment. I ruffled her hair again and smiled thankfully at Adrien, who smiled back.

"Well, let's go look that paintings now, yeah? I want to see the paintings about Ladybug and the others!" Alya said excitedly, and I motioned over to where they were, making her squeal and rush over. The rest of us looked at each other, amused, and walked over there, Angel sticking close to Adrien and I.

\------

A little while later, and the exhibition officially started. I directed everyone up to the event and left the door open so the doorbell wouldn't keep going off, saying hi to the people I knew as the others and I hung out downstairs. We had already seen all the paintings, so now we were just entertaining Evangelique in the living room or greeting and directing people.

Right now, Alya and Marinette were playing pretend with the young girl, and Nino was filming it while Adrien watched. I walked back over and sat down next to Adrien, watching the girls play around. Adrien leaned closer after a moment when he ew everyone else was thoroughly distracted and whispered, "So, how do you think it's going with your mom?"

I shivered slightly and shrugged, trying to ignore the way my heart pounded in my chest from the simple action of him leaning closer.

"No one's come running down the stairs in tears yet." I wrote offhandedly, making Adrien laugh a little.

"Yeah. That's true. It does seem like it'll work out...." He said softly, sighing and leaning back. He seemed rather relaxed for a bit until he noticed someone coming into the room, and he sat up straighter, smiling a little.

"Hey, Nathalie." The stern woman he addressed nodded, and he went over to her, holding a short and brief conversation before she went upstairs and he came back over.

"Sorry your dad didn't come." I wrote, showing him when he sat back down. Adrien shrugged slightly, smiling a little sadly.

"He's still thinking about buying something.... Nathalie said she was going to take pictures of the ones she had a feeling he would like." He sighed softly and this time I rubbed his back in a comforting way before giving him a side hug.

A few minutes later and there was a commotion starting outside, making the six of us wonder what was going on. Adrien and I exchanged glances, having a rather bad feeling. Nino got up to go check, poking his head outside the door and quickly coming back over a second later.

"We've got an Akuma attack happening outside!" He said quickly, and I tensed. How do I get everyone else to go upstairs where it's safe but not follow, along with Adrien? I glanced at him again, hoping he had a plan, but he looked just as unsure as I did.

"Okay, well, we should head upstairs, where it's safe." Marinette said quickly, and Nino and Alya nodded. Alya picked Angel up when everyone stood, and we quickly went to the stairs. I motioned for Adrien to follow my lead and went upstairs with the others, noticing how Marinette slipped away. I just hoped she didn't choose my room to transform, because if she did we'd have a problem.

When we got upstairs we looked for my mom, splitting up to search more efficiently. I took Adrien's hand and led him back down just as I heard Angel yell, "A baddie is outside!" and her father trying to quiet her, although now quite a few people heard her and they became uneasy.

I led Adrien to my room, and Neeks flew over to me, looking worried. "We need to go, now! This Akuma does not look happy." He said quickly, and I nodded. Adrien's Kwami flew out from his hiding spot, gave a small nod to Neeks, and then we both transformed, leaving through my bedroom window.

"I hope your mom doesn't go looking for you!" Adrien said worriedly as we headed for the fight.

"You and me both."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The way I depict Evangelique's dad is Madoka from the 2016 anime Shounen Maid. He's just a little taller than Madoka and his hair is a bit shorter and messier.


	30. Akuma Exhibition (Part 2)

When Chat Noir and I arrived to the fight, Ladybug was already there and trying to stop the man's clay figurines that were marching through the city.

"Ladybug!" Adrien yelled in surprise as she got thrown back. I looked from the figurines to the Akuma himself. The man was actually a rather sad Akuma to look at; small and simple, he looked more goofy than intimidating. He was made of clay and kind of looked like a gingerbread man, his eyes taking up, like, a third of his face, and a dark purple smock was draped over his front. He was creating balls of clay and spinning them around until they formed a figuring, and then it came to life and started march it down the street.

"I'll help Ladybug, you go after the akumatized item?"

Chat Noir nodded and we each went off to do what we needed to do.

I jumped down to where Ladybug was, helping her to her feet. "We need to stop them, fast!" She said in a panic, already starting to attack them again.

"Why the urgency?"

At my question, the clay figure seemed to laugh and respond to it. "Haha! This'll show that amateur artist! Getting more people going to your exhibition than me!"

I felt my blood run cold at his words. The only person who lived around here and was having an exhibition here was my mom. What was he planning on doing?

"Okay, yeah," I cleared my throat, hoping she didn't catch how it had cracked. "We need to stop him right now."

We both began to attack the figurines, breaking them and destroying them to pieces. I used my ability to get the strength of a gorilla, and just went to town on smashing the figurines so they couldn't reform. I took care of the ones Ladybug didn't get as she made her way to where Chat was fighting, trying to grab the smock off his body while dodging clay balls that were being thrown at him.

I grunted slightly as I shattered one, panting softly as I slowly grew more tired from the action. I heard my miraculous beep and looked down, watching the symbol disappear. I bit my lip, ducking from an attack. I scrambled away on all fours, flipping myself around to attack again. I growled, and activated my ability again, changing it from gorilla to tiger, and lunged at the figurines. I tackled it to the ground, scrapping the metal claws I had against it and creating large gashes in the thin clay.

I focused entirely on the figurines in front of me, attacking as many as I could while trying not to tire myself out more.

"Wolven, duck!"

My eyes widened and I did as told, just barely missing the head of one of the figurines zooming past, right where my own head had been. I looked behind me to see Chat, his eyes worried and baton in his hands with the body of the figuring laying on the ground in from of him. "Sorry!" He apologized, walking over and helping me to my feet.

"No problem. Nice hit." I commented, motioning to the head. "You got some distance."

Chat smiled, blushing lightly. "Oh, thanks. I've been practicing a little."

I smiled back, starting to say something in response when I noticed a figurine coming up behind Adrien. I grabbed his wrist and pulled him behind me, slashing at the figurine with a growl. It crumbled to the ground, and I looked around to see if there were any that had gotten past us.

I noticed one had, and I whimpered, running after it. I attacked the figurine when I reached it, pinning it to the ground and slashing at it. "Ladybug! How much longer?!"

"Give me a few minutes!" Ladybug said, and I bit my lip. "Chat! Chat, help me keep these guys away!"

"Will do!" Chat Noir helped me destroy more of the figurines, and after a few more minutes, Ladybug captured the Akuma and everything went back to normal. I sighed in relief, but then I look over to Adrien, worry in my eyes. He returned the look and we looked to Ladybug, who also looked nervous even as she helped the man to his feet and we listened to his problems. My tail flicked angrily, upset that he had been after my mom simply because more people came to her exhibition than his. I said nothing, thougj, and let Ladybug handle it, watching as she talked to him a little longer before he left and we all started back to where we needed to be.

I led Chat to my bedroom window again, and when we got inside, changed back. I let Neeks go to the candy bowl and rushed outside, only to be engulfed by a warm body the moment I opened the door.

I flailed for a moment, shocked, before I realized it was my mom, and I hugged her back gently.

"Jasper! What were you _doing_?! Don't give me such a heart attack!"

"Sorry...." I traced onto her back, hugging her a little tighter.

"Madam Wells, please. It wasn't Jasper's fault." Adrien said quietly, and mom moved away from me, looking between the two of us before sighing heavily and pinching the bridge of her nose. Monsieur Labelle gently placed his hand on my mom's shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze as he gently rubbed it.

"Boys... You need to realize just how worried we were for you! You just disappeared when there was an Akuma attacking only a few blocks away!" Mom gestured vaguely out the window, frowning as she crossed her other arm over her chest. She just looked annoyed now, and I hung my head in embarrassment and shame.

"I was worried about _both_ of you.... Boys, you need to promise me you won't do this again!"

"Yes ma'am." Adrien said softly, looking down as well. Mom was quiet for a bit longer before she hugged us both tightly.

"I'm so glad you are alright..."

The exhibition continued for a little longer after that, and everyone trickled out of our home and back to their own, except for Madam Gosier, Angel and her father, and Adrien. Explanations? Well, Madam Gosier, and Angel's father were going to spend the night here with my mom to get to know each other better, and Adrien wanted to stay longer while I wanted him to spend the night, so Nathalie was allowing it. My approval of her had gone up exponentially now that she was allowing Adrien to hang out with his friends more.

Angel would be spending the night sharing my room with Adrien and I, and as excited as I was, she wouldn't stop staring at either of us after we all got ready for bed. Neeks was curled up on his pillow but I had moved it closer to the candy bowl and hid it behind there so she couldn't see him very well. Plagg, Adrien's Kwami, was sleeping with Neeks.

Adrien and I were sleeping together in my bed and Angel was sleeping alone in an inflatable mattress, but currently we were sitting next to each other as she stared at the two of us. It was reaching a whole new level of strange.

"Evangelique, sweetie, what is it?" I wrote, showing her. She pouted then, and I panicked, thinking that I had done something wrong.

"Jasper, are you Wolven?"

My eyes widened and I looked at Adrien from the corner of my eye before smiling and shaking my head.

"Why would you think he was Wolven?" Adrien asked, leaning a little closer. He was on edge as well, and I bit my lip as Angel started speaking.

"He looks like him. His hair and one of his eyes are the same color!" She said, before pointing at Adrien. "And you are Chat Noir, aren't you!"

Adrien moved back, eyes wide in panic much like mine were. "N-No! No, I'm not Chat Noir. Whatever made you think that?"

"You both left this afternoon when the baddies attacked, and you look the same, and you act the same towards each other like they do! You guys are superheroes!" She said sternly, and I smiled sadly.

"No, sweetie, you're just imagining it. We aren't the superheroes, alright? Adrien's Adrien and I'm Jasper." I wrote, showing Evangelique before she huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, her cheeks puffed up.

"Sorry, Evangelique..." Adrien said softly as I crawled over, hugging her tightly. She didn't return the hug, but yawned instead, and a moment later she slumped against me. I smiled and shook my head in exasperation, lifts her and putting down in the inflatable mattress. She curled up and I covered her up with blankets, making sure she was nice and warm.

I sighed quietly and looked to Adrien, who nervously shrugged. Outside the room, Mom's delighted squeals and the others' laughs could faintly be heard, and I smiled as I went back to Adrien's side, turning off the light. "I told you they'd get together." He said softly, and I was glad it was dark as I felt my face heat up a little. I shoved him lightly, earning a small laugh, and we settled down to sleep.


	31. Mistletoe and Christmas Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to do another chapter before this, taking place on Christmas Eve with the Christmas Special because oh my god, the material was just there and calling my name (just throw Jasper in at certain parts, it makes it surprisingly funny), but I didn't want to spoil it for anyone and I've already got a bit of a time crunch happening so I didn't have time. WATCH IT THOUGH IT'S SO CUTE AND THE SINGING IS REALLY GOOD FOR ENGLISH AND FRENCH (it's funny, you can hear the auto tune in Adrien's English voice it's so heavily laid down XD it still sounds really good though.) MERRY CHRISTMAS GUYS, HERE'S YOUR GIFT!

Christmas came along quickly enough, and I had already seen Monsieur Labelle and Madam Gos- excuse me, _Noel_ and _Astrid_ , as they have been telling me to call them almost constantly, more than enough times in the five days after the exhibition. At this point, I was pretty sure they were all dating. Evangelique, I had seen less of. They must have a babysitter for her, which is a rather happy thing for me because while I loved the girl, she was adamant on saying Adrien and I were superheroes and it just made me a nervous wreck.

Last night, mom had gently nudged me out of the house, saying not to be back until about noon without Adrien, and that she had set it up with Nino's family that I could spend the night at his place. I was confused, but the moment I saw Astrid and Noel still there, I had a small idea what they might be doing, so I smiled and waved and went on without a fight.

Now, I was coming back with Adrien and the others after having convinced his father to let him come. I knocked on the door before entering, wanting to make sure Mom and the others had a little time to finish doing whatever they were doing.

The last thing I had expected when I opened the door, was to see Christmas lights and decorations covering every inch of doorway and stairwell. Immediately, I could smell cinnamon and pine as we walked in to take off our shoes and hang out coats.

Mom came skipping over to us dressed in a Santa outfit, a large grin on her face. Now, when I say Santa outfit, I don't mean a dress or a sexy Santa. What I mean is, she's wearing a much more feminine version of Santa's suit. "Merry Christmas!" She cheered. Noel chuckled as he walked around the corner into the hall, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. He had a Santa hat placed lopsidedly on his head, and a few kiss marks on his cheeks.

"Jasper, you never told me your mother is so gung-ho about Christmas."

I shrugged, more concerned over why mom had a cat-like grin on her face and her hands behind her back. Mom giggled and walked over, trying to look innocent.

Suddenly, she was bouncing behind Adrien and me, one arm stretched over our heads. Glancing up, my eyes widened when I saw the mistletoe she had in her hands. "Alright, boys! Kiss!"

Right after she said that, I heard a snort from Alya and a muffled laugh from Nino, and Marinette made a strangled sound of opposition. My cheeks flared red, and when I looked at Adrien, his were in a similar state. "Mom!" I mouthed, hoping my embarrassment and shock got through. Noel snickered from the area he was perched and I gave him a small glare. He knew she was planning this, didn't he?!

The glare only made him laugh more, and he tried to muffle it with his hand as Astrid popped around Noel, curiosity in her eyes. "What's going-" She squealed when she noticed the situation Adrien and I were in, her eyes lighting up, "Oh, it's the boys! Go on, kiss!" Adrien's blush only deepened as Marinette giggled, and I stared at her in betrayal.

No. Way. All three adults were against us and even _Marinette_ was finding this entertaining.

I let out a strangled whine and hid my face in my hands as I pouted in defiance. Mom pouted in return before turning to Adrien, smiling sweetly at him. "Sweetheart, be a dear and give my son a little kiss, please?"

Adrien bit his lip, smiling shyly and rubbing the back of his head. He was surprisingly quiet, but I wasn't complaining.

I felt like my heart was going to pound straight out of my chest at this point, watching Adrien warily. He glanced at me then looked away, biting his lip once more. Mom seemed to notice just how nervous he was and her smile softened. "You can just kiss his cheek, if it makes you more comfortable. No need to rush things." She said softly, and Adrien glanced at her again before looking at me.

"Are you okay with that, Jasper?" He asked softly, and after a moment I nodded. He smiled happily, taking my arm and gently pulling me closer. "Okay." He hummed, and he quickly kissed my cheek. The adults gave small cheers and whoops, which only made us more embarrassed.

Mom lowered her hand and hugged Adrien and me, rubbing our arms. "You guys did wonderful. Now, do you guys want to kiss your friends?"

Marinette let out a squeak at that, and Alya pushed her forward. "She does! Adrien," she looked at Adrien, smiling, "Would you mind?"

"I don't mind." Mom nodded at Adrien's answer, and she held the mistletoe up between them. Marinette was blushing so much, steam may as well be coming out of her head. Adrien gave her a quick peck on the cheek as well, and Marinette just about fainted right then and there. Alya was laughing along with the adults, and Mom went to Alya and Nino.

"Kids? Your turn!" She hummed, and now it was Alya and Nino who were blushing. I smirked at them, motioning for them to go on and kiss. Nino pulled Alya closer and gave her a small kiss on her cheek, and she laughed happily.

Mom hummed, pleased, and went back over to Noel and Astrid, holding up the mistletoe. "Alright, my turn!" Astrid laughed and kissed mom briefly on the lips, and then Noel did the same. My friends and I all looked at each other and then groaned, pretending to be grossed out by the affection before laughing.

The adults laughed, too, and Mom came bouncing back over, going behind all of us and pushing us forward. "Anyway, kids, come along, come along! It's present time!"

"Where's Evangelique?" Adrien asked, and Noel chuckled a little. "She's spending it with the rest of the family. They spoil her rotten, and they didn't want to miss out on Christmas with her."

"Shouldn't you be with them?" Nino asked as Mom made him sit down next to a small pile of wrapped presents before doing it to the rest of us. Mine was a tiny bit smaller, because my birthday was only two weeks ago.

Noel smiled and shrugged. "I told them I wanted to spend it with a my girlfriends and Jasper, and after explaining what that meant, they told me to let them have Eva for the day so I could spend it with all of you."

"Wow, that's surprisingly lenient of them." Alya said, surprised, and Noel laughed.

"Yeah, I was just as shocked as you."

"Well, I'm glad the both of you could spend time with us!" Mom said, linking her arms with Noel's and Astrid's before sitting down with them.

"Alright, so we were thinking the guests go first, but we were going to let you decide the order." Astrid said with a hum, leaning lightly against my mom.

I looked that the others and smiled, motioning for them to decide. They looked at each other and Nino smiled. "I think the best should be saved for last, so Adrien should be last, and Jasper goes before him." He said, looking at Adrien to make sure that was alright. Adrien just smiled and shrugged.

"I'm okay with whatever you guys decide." Adrien said softly, leaning back a little bit as he kept himself up with his arms.

Nino nodded, looking to the girls. "Well, I don't mind when I go, so I think you girls should decide."

Alya looked to Marinette, humming. "What do you think?"

"I think it should go you, Nino, me, Jasper, and then Adrien." Marinette said after a few moments, and the rest of us nodded.

"Sounds good." I wrote in my notebook, smiling.

After that, we opened our presents one after the other. Everyone got presents that fit their personalities, although Adrien's gifts were scattered between many things and many interests. I, personally, rather liked the gift that I have given him. It was a charm bracelet similar to the one Adrien got me for my birthday, although instead of it having a really intricate custom charm, it had a simpler wolf and cat charm that fit into my personal price range. It also had a camera charm and an "A" charm with Black and Green gems in the side. I had another charm to give him later that evening as Wolven.

After we all opened our gifts, we looked to the adults.

"Your turn!" I wrote, showing them and smiling when they all looked a little surprised.

"Really, you want to see us open presents?" Astrid asked curiously, making us all nod. She laughed and smiled. "Well, alright, but I'm sure they won't be as interesting."

Alya waved off her concern, looking just as amused as the rest of us. "Do it anyway!"

Mom laughed, taking two small presents out from a pocket in the top of her suit. She handed them to Noel and Astrid, and Noel motioned for Astrid to open her's first.

She did so carefully, and pulled out a a small brown box with a lid. When she opened it, she pulled out a Disney figurine of Nala from _The Lion King_. Astrid giggled, setting it back in the box before looking to Noel. He opened his next, finding the same brown box. When he opened it, he pulled out Simba. He laughed, looking over to Mom. "Thank you, Mitzy."

"No problem, loves." She hummed, rocking back and forth a little, pleased with herself. Astrid went next, handing her gifts to Noel and Mom. Her's were bigger than the ones mom gave, but not by much. Mom opened her's first after being prompted to by Noel, and she gasped when she saw a bracelet from Kay Jewelers. It was a simple diamond bracelet, but it wasn't a type of bracelet mom usually wore, simply because of how expensive they could get. She smiled and hugged Astrid in thanks, who laughed and hugged her back.

Noel's gift from Astrid was much simpler, a leather bracelet with a metal plate on it with a horse carved into the metal. He thanked Astrid and then he handed the girls their presents, each in a similar box from some Jewelers.

"Open them together, if you want."

Astrid and Mom exchanged looks before opening the boxes, exposing simple silver chains with a single pendant on them. On mom's pendant, there was a heart studded with turquoise gems and an infinity sign laced around it. Astrid's necklace was almost the exact same, except the gems were topaz instead of turquoise. I clapped for them, smiling a little. Noel put the necklaces on each of them, and the girls hugged him.

"Those are really pretty!" Marinette said with a small smile.

"They suit you." Nino said with a small chuckle.

Mom laughed and stood up after giving Noel and Astrid kisses on their cheeks, stretching a little. "Alright, well, now we should get back to cooking so we can all have a nice lunch, yeah?"

A few hours later, Marinette, Alya, and Nino went back home to celebrate the rest of Christmas Day with their families, and we got Adrien to stay with us. Christmas dinner was simple but the table was filled with laughter and conversation, and Adrien was constantly smiling. It made me happy to see just how happy Adrien was tonight, and when dinner and dessert were done, we all went to the living room.

Mom turned on music and grabbed Noel's hands, already starting to dance with him. Astrid laughed and clapped along to the beat, sometimes being brought into their little group or switching off with one of them. I offered Adrien my hand and when he took it, winked at him before starting to swing and spin him around. He let out a startled laugh, before joining in, spinning me around a bit.

We swung our arms, spinning each other and sometimes kicking around our feet. It was sort of like we were swing dancing, but in a much more subdued way because of my throat and the problems that came with that, as well as the fact that Adrien didn't really know how to swing dance.

A little while later, we snuck over to my bedroom, quietly transforming and leaving through the window. We went to the Eiffel Tower with our gifts for each other and Ladybug, meeting her up at the top.

"Merry Christmas!" We shouted together, startling her. She yelped and looked at us, before smiling and laughing.

"Merry Christmas, boys! Having a nice night?"

"The best!" Adrien said excitedly, his grin stretching across his entire face.

"It's been amazing." I said, a lot more calm but grinning just as much. "What about you?"

"It's been pretty great." Ladybug said happily, before handing us two small packages. "Here you go."

We opened our gifts, thanked her, and then handed her our gifts for her, watching her open them. She laughed, seeing the ladybug theme to the gifts, and thanked us. Then, Adrien and I exchanged gifts. Both packages were tiny and could fit in our palms. We opened them together on the count of three, and we laughed at what we saw.

We had each gotten each other a new charm for our charm bracelets. The one Adrien got me was a notebook, partially open and with small black cursive writing on the cover that said "Stories", and the one I got Adrien was a charm of the Eiffel Tower with small, colorful gems dotted here and there to symbolize Christmas lights.

Ladybug looked a little confused, probably wondering why we have charms but no bracelets or anything. Adrien and I just smiled at each other, enjoying our little secret.


	32. Author's Note: What's Going to Happen Next and Title Contest!

I've come to the conclusion I can't write romance even if it was the last thing on earth or something like that XD I genuinely can't think of the expression. Speaking of romance, though!

I know it's taking _forever_ for Adrien and Jasper to get together! I get it, it's frustrating for a lot of you, but be patient, my lovely readers! It will happen before this book is over! I think I might end it in around five chapters, if not three, because I can't think of anything to write anymore except for the last two chapters of the story (which the contents of shall remain secret) I'm sorry! If you have any ideas for either the final fight or something before that, I'd love to hear it.   
             Anyway, the sequel will be all original! Original villain, original minions of the villain, original relationships, honestly, the setting and most characters are about the only things that will not be original! We will also be learning all about Neeks and his relationship with Jasper, as well as Neeks past. I'm excited to write it, and I hope you guys are excited to read it! But, this brings me to my next topic in this lovely ~~annoying~~  author's note.

Title contest! I have _no_ idea what to name the sequel! So, I figured I'd list some of the ideas I had here, and you guys can vote for whichever one you like down in the comments! You can also offer up your own ideas for the title, and vote for that if you want it.

Here are my ideas, comment which one you'd like down in the comments with the number next to it, or, as previously stated, comment you own!

1\. Of Gods and Men  
2\. The Warrior's Code  
3\. Forget Me Not  
4\. Creve Coeur  
5\. The Tale of Wolven  
6\. The Fear of Death  
7\. Without the Mask  
8\. All We Are Is Broken

For those of you who know French, don't panic! Option 4, Creve Coeur is not the title because it means "Broken Hearted" or "Bleeding Heart" or whatever it is (i just know it means something involving heart break). It is the title because of the legends and myths that surround Creve Coeur Lake in St.Louis, Missouri, which was where I used to live.

I'll be taking votes until this story finishes, and will alert people who didn't read this to the contest next chapter.

Thank you for taking the time to read this! I know Author's Notes are a pain to a lot of people, especially when they want an update. I also know I keep promising no more author's notes and then do another one, so I'm sure that's annoying, too.

Bye Bye!


	33. The Kitten and The Wolf Pup

Weeks passed by in a blur after Christmas. Akumas were popping up everywhere now and Mom and I took over as the Evangelique watchers while Noel and Astrid were at work. Mom had actually started teaching her how to paint when she wasn't working on getting her paintings sold or making more of them, and Angel looked like she was having the time of her life when she'd come out of Mom's studio with paint covering her skin and stuck in her hair, giggling and happy.

Adrien was suddenly able to hang out with the others and I more, which was shocking. I had to silently thank Nathalie for that, though, because it meant that Adrien was finally able to be a normal teenager. Of course, he still had to do all his lessons and modeling jobs, but suddenly his schedule wasn't as packed as Summer Vacation was appearing right around the corner for all of us.

Neeks was growing more and more nervous as time went on, and whenever I asked he would say it's because he felt like something bad was coming. Something that always caused us to hesitate as Wolven whenever the impending battle with Hawkmoth came up. Honestly, I was starting to feel it, too, especially when there were a few of those strange Akumas tossed into the mix. The lady who knew who Neeks was never showed herself again, though. She was still hiding in the shadows.

It reminded us that our battle wasn't as close to finished as we thought.

"Wolven, seriously, what's causing you so much hesitation?" Ladybug asked as we sat around a low table in Master Fu's home, and I shrugged meekly. Chat Noir, who was sitting next to me, rubbed my back comfortingly. Master Fu simply hummed, serving tea to the three of us.

"It's just.... That lady is still out there, and... My kwami's really nervous about it all. She's waiting until Hawkmoth is defeated before making her move."

"She can't be worse than Hawkmoth though, right?" I shook my head at her question, looking down. Chat Noir spoke up for me in response.

"Milady, you can't forget that her Akuma _aren't_ Akuma. They don't have the butterfly, and they aren't created from anger. It's- it's like they are actual monsters." He said softly, looking at her worriedly. "You can't purify them."

"And we still don't have any idea who she is, or what she's trying to do, or why she knows my Kwami." I listed, biting my lip as Neeks' nervousness sent jitters throughout my body. I carefully took the tea cup Master Fu offered me and sipped at the warm beverage, smiling gratefully at the man.

"Master Fu, do you know anything?" Ladybug asked softly, and Master Fu hummed again, smiling that smile that meant he knew more than he let on.

"It is not my culture nor my secret to share." He said softly, looking over to me. "I was surprised you had come here at all, young Wolven. I must say I never expected you to leave America like we did China."

"So the American kwamis tend to stay in America?" Chat Noir asked, and my ears flattened against my head as I looked at Master Fu, confused by his words. Was it really that rare for Neeks to leave America?

"Something like that." Master Fu said in that steadily becoming annoying voice paired with that secretive smile. I groaned softly, resting my head in my hands.

"Well, I don't know _anything_ helpful in that department. My kwami's really secretive, remember? All I know, is that he's afraid of her, he was inactive for a really long time, he has a set of rules that apply to his chosen that's actually really hard for people to meet, and unlike you guys, I might have been the only hero like this in America. I'm just as lost as you are."

Chat Noir's hand continued to rub my back, and it really did help to calm me down. "Hey, it's alright. We'll figure this all out, but I think we should really plan on defeating Hawkmoth soon.... I'm honestly getting run ragged with the frequency of all these Akuma attacks and my schedule." Ladybug and I both made sounds of agreement, and my ear flicked in response to Neeks' agreement.

"So how should we handle this?" I asked, lifting my head up again and looking at the others. "Do we go in guns blazing, or let him make the first move?"

"We aren't to just go in without a plan, Wolven."

"No, I meant, are we going to make the first move. Not 'Are we going to go charging in screaming our heads off?'"

Chat Noir chuckled, shrugging slightly. "I think we should make the first move. We have the element of surprise, right? I mean, we know where his hideout is, and I don't think he knows we know."

"Chat Noir has a point." Master Fu said with a small smile, sipping at his own cup of tea. "The element of surprise is always something one should use to their advantage."

"The way you just said that worries me." I said slowly, looking at Master Fu worriedly. "Why did it sound like you know something you aren't telling us?"

Master Fu simply smiled, and I groaned again, letting my head hand back in my hands with a groan. "That's starting to get on my nerves, sir." I said as politely as I could muster. Honestly, I was just tired of this, and the nervousness Neeks and I were feeling had reached a point where I was just ready to end this all and feel that euphoric high that came from defeating the villain that all heroes seemed to feel.

I felt Chat Noir's hand reach up to my hair, and he began to scratch right underneath my wolf ears, make me groan in a completely different way and my tail thump against the floor as it wagged. I relaxed, leaning against Adrien gratefully as he helped me relax, which was something I didn't even realize I needed to do even though I was stressed.

Ladybug giggled slightly, hiding what was most likely a smile behind her hand, and Master Fu's eyes twinkled. I didn't care that much, just nuzzled into Adrien's side as he continued scratching beneath my ears like he would a dog.

"Hey, um, I thought cats and dogs were supposed to hate each other." Ladybug said, a laugh bubbling up in her voice.

I growled slightly at her insinuation and she laughed, her hand unable to hide her grin. Chat Noir laughed as well, a faint dusting of red on his cheeks as he ran his hand through my hair one more time before dropping it.

"Okay, for starters, I'm a _wolf_ not a dog, there's a difference."

"Okay, yeah, but wolves were the first dogs." She pointed out, completely amused.

"Doesn't matter." I stated firmly, " _Secondly_ , dogs and cats get along swimmingly most of the time. My cousin had a dog and cat and they were best friends. Actually, they were more than that, but I'll spare you two the same scarring I earned when I _walked in on them once._ " I shuddered slightly, even though I was smiling, at the memory of walking into my cousin's living room once to see the two trying to mate even though they were both fixed. It was weird, to say the least. And funny. But mainly weird.

All the other occupants in the room burst out laughing, and Chat Noir pulled me closer. "Well then, guess our relationship makes purrfect sense now." He said softly, his r's having a soft trill in them when he made the pun since he actually almost purred when he spoke, and I felt my heart rate spike as my grin grew a bit more and I laughed.

"Chat Noir, did you run out of animal puns? You've used that one before." I asked softly, and he hummed, nodding a little.

"Yeah, but it worked! I got you to laugh."

"You are such a dork."

"Ooo, are you giving me some ruff love?" He teased, and I laughed again, lightly shoving him.

"Alrightly, lovebirds, that's enough." Ladybug teased with a small laugh, making both of us look at her quickly, embarrassed. Did we really seem like we were lovebirds?

Ladybug laughed softly again, shaking her head with fond exasperation. "You two, I swear." She sighed heavily, crossing her arms over her chest. "Anyway, back to the topic at hand. When should we go after Hawkmoth?"

"Maybe in the next week or two? We shouldn't put it off any longer." Adrien suggested, and I nodded in agreement.

"On the weekend, too. That way we all have a few hours of free time, since we have no idea how long this will take. I mean, it could take ten minutes, or it could take _hours_. We can't be sure." I added, and the others nodded.

"How about you three go next Sunday, perhaps in the early morning." Master Fu suggested, and I nodded.

"Well, that works for me. What about you two?"

"Um... I have to double check with my father, but I think I'll be alright. If not, I can just sneak out." Adrien said hesitantly, smiling bashfully. I smiled, gently nudging him with my shoulder and reaching up to lightly scratch under his chin. He purred, and I nodded when Ladybug also confirmed that that would work. "So when should we meet up?" Chat Noir asked, and I hummed, thinking.

"5? 6? He's an adult, so I would think we should be there when he's just getting there, surprise him even more."

"Sounds good to me." Ladybug smiled, and Chat Noir nodded his agreement. I smiled.

"Great. Hopefully we can get a break from it all for a week." I sighed, and Chat Noir rubbed my back again.

"Yeah, that would be nice." He said softly, and Ladybug nodded, before looking at Master Fu.

"Master Fu,why aren't you fighting with us? Aren't you a miraculous holder?"

Master Fu chuckled, shrugging a little as he explained. "My dear girl, I'm not as young as I used to be. I'm afraid that I cannot fight anymore, however I can be here to guide you." He said sagely, and I hummed softly as I listened to him, nodding a little.

"Master Fu, how long have you been the caretaker for the miraculous?" I asked softly.

"Longer than you three have been alive. Why, I believe I was only a few years older than you when I have been chosen by the previous caretaker."

"Do you know if America has one?" Master Fu's eyes twinkled again at my question, and I sighed. "You won't say, will you?"

"You'll find out in due time, Wolven. All three of you will. For now, simply focus on trying to rest before the final fight against Hawkmoth."

"Yessir." The three of us said together, and I gave him a mock salute as well, still comfortably leaning against Chat Noir.

We all stayed at Master Fu's a bit longer, planning our fight against Hawkmoth and just talking about random things or the miraculouses. Eventually we had to go, though, so we all left, Adrien and I heading to his place. When we got into his room, we transformed back, Plagg being overdramatic about how hungry he was, as usual. Neeks and him flew off to enjoy their snacks and talk to each other, and Adrien and I went to play videogames.

Some games we played together on, and others we played against, but we had fun all the same. Adrien groaned as I beat him at one of the fighting games, making me grin. A few minutes later, he defeated me, making me let out a weak groan and laugh as I leaned back against his couch. Plagg and Neeks were cheering us on from their small corner before going back to their treats and their own conversation. We continued to play video games for about an hour, when my phone chimed my mom's text tone. Adrien paused the game and I looked at the text, biting my lip.

 _Hey sweetheart, can you do me a favor?_  
                  **What is it, Mom?**  
Can you watch Angel tonight? Astrid, Noel, and I were hoping to have a date.  
                  **Sure thing. Can Adrien help out?**  
If his father or Nathalie is alright with it, sure.  
                **Great! Have fun on your date, mom ;)**

I smiled, looking at Adrien. He hummed questioningly, and I showed him the texts, before writing in my notebook, "Do you want to spend the night again? Angel would love to see you."

"I need to ask Dad... I still don't know if he's really okay with all this, though. I mean, Nathalie's kind of been helping me go behind his back so I can hang out with you and the others." Adrien said softly, biting his lip lightly.

"Why don't you just ask Nathalie, then?"

"Because Dad still needs to know, sometimes."

"Alright. Let's go ask now." I wrote, standing up and holding out my hand for him. He took it and I pulled him up, although he looked really worried. "It'll be okay." I mouthed, and he smiled nervously, nodding.

We went to his dad's office and I knocked on the door, waiting for his dad to let us in. When he did, I took Adrien's wrist and pulled him into the room, waving hello to his father, who raised an eyebrow but otherwise held on emotion on his face.

"Adrien, Jasper. What do you want?"

"Um.... Well, Jasper's mother asked him if he could watch her boyfriend's daughter for the night, and he was wondering if I could help him and maybe spend the night?" Adrien asked as confidently as he could in the presence of his father. His father stared, not letting anything show on his face as he looked between me and Adrien.

After what felt like forever, his father sighed, breaking eye contact as he lowered his head. "Well, Nathalie, as well as your mother, Jasper, have told me I have been much too hard on Adrien, and while I...." He lifted his head as he took a breath, making eye contact again, "Do not fully agree or condone them of telling me how to raise my son, I have noticed how much happier you seem with your friends, and you still uphold your work." He looked over to Adrien, nodding slightly as a smile quirked at his lips, "You... Can spend the night with Jasper, Adrien. But you must be back before noon, you have a photoshop to attend."

I smiled clapping very lightly, and Adrien laughed in relief. "R-Really?"

"Yes. Now hurry and go before I change my mind." Adrien smiled and grabbed my hand, thanking his dad before leaving, pulling me along. I grinned and managed to give Mr. Agreste a wave before Adrien pulled me out of the room, cheering after closing the door.

Adrien looked shocked behind the excitement and joy, and his laugh was almost in disbelief. "He- He's letting me go... I can't believe he's letting me go!" He jumped, excited, and grabbed my hands again, the both of us laughing as we made our way to his room so he could pack a bag.

I smiled and texted my mom that Adrien could stay the night, while Adrien relayed the news to Neeks and Plagg as he packed a bag.

"That's great, Adrien!" Neeks said happily, flying up and giving his cheek a hug. Plagg looked almost dumbfounded.

"Wait, your _father_ , Mr.'You have to do as I say and can't have any fun', just told you you can have fun?"

"Yeah!"

"Is he okay?" Plagg asked, genuinely sounding worried underneath the jab at his father. Adrien laughed, petting Plagg.

"He's fine, Plagg." He said, voice filled with laughter. "Apparently he doesn't take kindly to others telling him how to raise me, and I'm guessing he didn't want even more people telling him to lighten up."

"So he's letting Adrien hang out with us more!" I added, showing the Kwamis my notebook.

Neeks laughed, settling himself on my shoulder. "I'm happy for you two. Means less worrying and more chances for you to be with each other." He hummed, tailing wagging excitedly. "Oh, and the others, of course." He added quickly, like he had just remembered the others, a wolfish grin on his face that had Plagg laughing. Clearly, it was an inside joke or something.

Adrien finished packing and we went downstairs, finding Nathalie and Adrien's bodyguard waiting. "He'll be driving you to Jasper's house. Be careful, alright you two?" Nathalie said with a small smile. I nodded and Adrien gave her a verbal confirmation, and we went outside and got into the car.

When we got to my house, little Angel was already there with the adults, and she cheered when she saw us, running over and barreling herself into our legs. We all laughed as the adults joined us, and Adrien let out a whistle when we saw them.

Mom was wearing a simple light blue off the shoulder dress with her hair done up in a high ponytail with some of her hair still in her face, while Astrid was wearing a dark red, long-sleeved dress, her long brown hair falling in waves around her, while Noel was wearing a lilac button up shirt with black trousers. He still looked a bit disheveled, probably from dealing with a hyper five year old girl on the way here.

"Wow, you three look stunning." Adrien complimented, and Evangelique grinned.

"I helped Daddy and Mommy get dressed!" She cheered, before looking over to my mom. "Jasper, your mommy was already dressed when we got here, and I wanted to help her get dressed, too!" Angel whined, and Astrid chuckled, leaning down a little to talk to Angel.

"Now, now, Angel. She let you help her pick out her jewelry, didn't she?"

Angel pouted, and my mom laughed. "Alright, sweetie, next time I'll wait to get dressed so you can help me, but now it's time for you to play dress up with the boys, alright?"

Evangelique's eyes widened as she gasped, whipping her head back to Adrien and I. "I can?!"

I looked at Adrien, smiling, and he laughed, picking Angel up. "I don't see why not. But if we tell you not to do something, you _have_ to listen, got it?" He said, pointing at her as he gave her a stern look, and she nodded quickly.

The adults took that as the sign it was okay to leave, because Astrid went on ahead to the car while Mom kissed me on the cheek while Noel kissed the top of Evangelique's head, and they all bid us goodbye. Adrien and I walked into the house and he set Evangelique down, who went running to my room the moment her feet touched the ground. Neeks and Plagg peeked out from their hiding spots, and we all grinned at each other.

This was going to be fun.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! For those of you who did not read the Author's Note before this chapter, I'm writing a sequel and am currently having a title contest for it! I have no idea what to name the sequel, so, I figured I'd list some of the ideas I had here, and you guys can vote for whichever one you like down in the comments! You can also offer up your own ideas for the title, and vote for that if you want it.
> 
> Here are my ideas, comment which one you'd like down in the comments with the number next to it, and if you've already voted, you don't have to vote again.
> 
> 1\. Of Gods and Men  
> 2\. The Warrior's Code  
> 3\. Forget Me Not  
> 4\. Creve Coeur  
> 5\. The Tale of Wolven  
> 6\. The Fear of Death  
> 7\. Without the Mask  
> 8\. All We Are Is Broken
> 
> For those of you who know French, don't panic! Option 4, Creve Coeur is not the title because it means "Broken Hearted" or "Bleeding Heart" or whatever it is (i just know it means something involving heart break). It is the title because of the legends and myths that surround Creve Coeur Lake in St.Louis, Missouri, which was where I used to live.
> 
> I'll be taking votes until this story finishes.


	34. The Final Battle

The next week, just like the months before, flew by. It soon became time for us to fight Hawkmoth. Adrien's father let him stay at my place again tonight, so we planned to sneak out after leaving mom a note saying we went out for breakfast and would bring her back something later that day.

The morning of the fight, we woke up around 4:30 in the morning, and after making sure we were awake, transformed. I sighed heavily, biting my lip. "Alright, let's do this." I said softly, smiling at Adrien before opening my window and leaving my bedroom with him. We made our way to Hawkmoth's hideout quietly, watching as the city slowly began to wake up.

I was letting Adrien lead, since he already knew where it was. When I saw where we were heading, though, I froze. Adrien stopped, looking back at me nervously. "Jasper...? Hey, why'd you stop?"

"Adrien..." I started slowly, staring at the house we were heading straight for. "Why are we going to your house?"

He flinched at the question, rubbing the back of his head nervously and not meeting my gaze. "Um... H-Hawkmoth's lair, it's, uh..."

I didn't need to hear the rest though, as the dots connected in my head and my stomach suddenly dropped. "By the Angel, Adrien!" I shouted quietly, stepping closer. "Why didn't you- you can't fight your _dad_!" I said quickly, looking at the cat superhero with worry as I took his wrist in my hold. He still didn't meet my gaze, his cat ears flattening against his head sadly.

"I have to, Jasper. I can't let him keep doing this, and I really, _really_ want answers." He said softly, voice barely audible as he seemed to slump in defeat. It hurt to see how this was eating Adrien up inside.

"Why... Why didn't you tell me?" I asked softly, and he shrugged helplessly.

"It-It didn't seem like something you needed to know..."

I stared at him, scoffing slightly in disbelief. "Not- Not something I needed to know?" I asked softly, dropping his wrist from my grip. "Adrien, you've been keeping this inside for _months_. Months!" I threw my hands in the air, exasperated. "I understand personal privacy, I understand having a terrible father. _I get it_ , Adrien, but this isn't something you should keep to yourself! This isn't something you should have to deal with in your life!"

"What makes you so sure?" He asked defensively, tense again as he met my eyes. They were filled with hurt, and I held back a small sound of frustration and sadness.

"Because it shouldn't be a burden someone like you has to bear!" I snapped, making his eyes widen. I groaned in frustration into my hands, scrubbing my face for a moment before taking Adrien's hand again and pulling him to his house to wait for Ladybug. "Adrien, you are the sweetest boy I've ever met. You do everything you are told, you keep smiling even when you are hurting..." I said softly, having used the walk to his house as a chance to calm myself from my unexpected outburst. "You've been punished enough by your mother disappearing, and now this?" I smiled sadly at him, laughing weakly. "It's just _wrong_."

"But that's what happened. We can't change that, Jasper. I still don't see why I should have told you... You were going to find out eventually." Adrien mumbled, looking down at the roof of his home, frowning at it.

"Because it might have eased the pain?" I suggested softly, letting go of his wrist with a sigh. "Because... I would have much rather preferred finding out about this from my best friend, instead of going to his hideout the day we were supposed to fight him?"

Adrien was quiet for a few minutes, sniffling a little. "... I'm sorry." He said softly, voice shaking, and I hugged him tightly.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. You were only doing what you thought was right, and it isn't your fault your father is Hawkmoth." I said softly, nuzzling him gently. He seemed like he was on the verge of tears.

"I don't want it to be him." He admitted, and I hugged him tighter. "But who else could it be? It's my house."

"Hey, everything will be okay. It won't be so bad, I'm sure. I'll help you. We can talk your dad out of this crazy plan of his, and everything will go back to normal.... You'll see."

"I hope you're right." He said softly, finally hugging me back.

"I _know_ I'm right. Seriously." I moved back a little to ruffle his hair, making him laugh and smile. I immediately brightened. "There's your smile! I missed it in the short time it was away." I said with a small wistful sigh. He laughed again and messed up my hair next, still grinning.

I laughed softly, not wanting to be too loud in case Hawkmoth appeared at some point, and Adrien and I started messing around as we waited for Ladybug since I was trying to keep his mind off the fact Hawkmoth was his father. Somehow, we ending up play wrestling on the roof of Adrien's home, carefully pinning each other to the tile and trying to play with each other's animal ears and hair. At some point I started trying to mess with the bell on his collar, but didn't go after it too much so it didn't make too much noise.

Eventually, we stopped when we both picked up the sounds of someone entering that room thanks to our animal hearing, with Adrien pinned under me as I straddled him. Sadly, that was how Ladybug found us, and she got that same catlike grin that Alya would get, making me blush darkly and quickly get off Adrien, pulling him to his feet. I pointed down to the roof, then to my lips, telling her to be quiet since someone was there. She nodded and together we quietly walked to the skylight in the center of the roof, each one of us taking a side. I unsheathed my metal claws and wedged them in the crack of the pane, prying it open as quietly and carefully as I could.

Ladybug and Chat Noir grabbed the skylight's window, holding it up and slowly pulling it out of it's place while I used my claws to pry it loose as they went. After a few minutes it was finally off, and they set it off to the side while I looked down into the room, frowning from how dark it was even with the light. No wonder Mr. Agreste needed glasses, if he spent most of his time here with practically no light.

Quietly, I activated my power so I could see in the dark, and I could see hundreds of white butterflies fluttering about the room, faintly glowing. A figure stood in the middle of all of them, a cane in his hand and a mask covering most of his head, a black and dark purple suit fitting snugly to his body. I bit back a growl when I saw what appeared to be a locket in his hand, open and showing him a picture of something.

Chat Noir frowned, looking away after studying the same scene I had been. I sighed faintly, sitting back on my heels. "He's distracted... We should go, now." I whispered, and after a nod of confirmation, I motioned to the opening. "Ladies first."

Ladybug smiled and went into the hideout, landing quietly onto the ground. I looked at Chat, silently asking him if he wanted to go next. He took a deep breath and headed down, and I followed him closely. I looked at Hawkmoth, wondering if he really hadn't yet noticed us, or if he was toying with us.

Ladybug crept forward, yo-yo in hand, and Chat extended his baton, following her. I followed them, and we circled around the butterflies, hoping not to disrupt them. Some flew closer, and I stepped back after a moment of them flying in my face.

Ladybug was the first to attack, flinging her yoyo at the man, who wacked it away with his cane. He let out a deep chuckle as I growled, and turned to face us. "Did you really think I had no idea you were there? My precious akuma could sense you the moment you landed in here." He said with a coo in his voice as he held out a hand for one of the butterflies to land on it.

His cane disappeared in a flurry of smaller butterflies, and he moved his free hand to cover the butterfly waiting impatiently in his hand. I shot forward, knocking his moving hand back and keeping it from covering the butterfly. "Stop this, now." I said softly, so only he could hear as he stared at me with shocked eyes. "What would Adrien think?"

Hawkmoth's eyes grew angry, and he twisted his hand slightly to grab my wrist almost painfully, the butterfly leaving his hand as he grabbed my other arm with the same strength. "What do you know, you pest!" He snarled, and I let out a startled yell as he kicked my legs, knocking them out from under me and throwing me back towards Chat Noir and Ladybug. Chat launched himself forward, catching me with a grunt from both of us on impact.

I looked up with a nervous smile. "Too eager?"

"Too eager." He confirmed, and I nodded as he set me back on my feet. I laughed softly, scratching at my cheek lightly before following after him back to the fight with Ladybug. She swung her yoyo, wrapping it around his right wrist. He grinned, forming his cane again and tapping it on the ground four times, small sparks flaring against the tile. The faintly glowing butterflies around them all turned black, cracks of glowing purple in their wings. Purple mist came from them, forming shapes, and when the mist disappeared, in front of us stood the Akuma we had fought over the past two years.

I let out a surprised whistle at the overwhelming amount of Akuma, ears twitching from all the loud noises of the Akuma starting to attack or defend. Chat was struggling to get to Hawkmoth, and Ladybug let out a yelp as she was pulled off her feet by the ringleader tugging on her yoyo's string and was sent flying towards him. My wolf ears flicked at the sound of one of the Akuma coming up behind me, and I ducked, kicking my feet out behind me and sending them to the ground as my legs came in contact with theirs. Turning and looking at the one I knocked down, I vaguely noticed it was one that I hadn't seen before.

The Akumatized girl snarled, baring animal-like fangs, and lunged for me. I stepped back as quickly as I could without falling over, my feet moving on impulse and I turned away from her a second before she barreled into where I had been. Unable to stop herself due to the momentum of her attack, she slammed into another Akuma, this one being one I recognized. I tensed when they both turned to me, anger in their eyes, and darted in the opposite direction of them as fast as I could, dodging attacks from other Akuma while attacking them if they were in the way. I could hear Ladybug and Chat Noir fighting elsewhere in the room, and wondered which one was facing off against Hawkmoth. I minutely hoped it was Adrien, but at the same time didn't want him to be fighting his own father.

I heard the akumatized girl growl behind me and bit my lip, turning to fight her and the other one. I turned just in time to block an attack from the akumatized male, my claws and his sword scrapping against each other. I flinched at the shrill sound, and the next second I felt teeth embed themselves in my left arm. I let out a small scream of pain and yanked my arm away, ignoring the sting and tear that came from pulling away from the girl's teeth so forcefully.

I kicked the male in his stomach, causing him to crumple to the ground, and slashed at the girl, cutting from her sounder to her hip. She howled before turning into purple mist, a butterfly falling to the ground where she had been. It fluttered, still alive, but the purple glow in its wings had disappeared. The male lunged for me and I shouted in surprise, slashing at him as well. The same thing happened, and I sighed, staring at the butterflies in confusion before looking at my claws. "Neeks.... That's not you doing that, is it?"

_No, it's not! I think that's just how they are, since they aren't actual people. If you deal enough damage they should turn back to butterflies. They won't be dekumatized, but they won't be able to attack you again._

"Oh, okay. Good to know." I hummed, before looking around, trying to find Chat Noir again through the flood of Akuma. "He couldn't have sent them out in waves?" I grumbled under my breathe, trying to find him and help him get through to his father. I spotted a flash of blond hair and black clothes, so I ran in that direction, slashing Akuma out of my way and dodging their attacks. I yelped as an Akuma grabbed my leg and tugged back, causing me to fall to the ground. It was the dancer Akuma from the first month I was here.

"Dance with me again! I'll win this time!" She demanded, and I groaned, slashing at the ribbons around my leg.

"I don't have time to mess around with you!" I snapped, cutting the ribbons that came after me again before grabbing her wrist and slashing her with my claws. She poofed into a butterfly and I scrambled away from another Akuma, one entirely made of stone. I jumped onto its shoulder and climbed onto its head, using it as a vantage point since it was taller than the others. I held on tightly as the Akuma tried to swat me off, dodging its hands when it came too close. I scanned the mass of bodies, looking for bright red and short blond hair.

I spotted Ladybug fighting a group of Akuma, very few I recognized. One of them looked a lot like Chloe, and another like Alya. She looked like she was handling herself well, though, only a few bumps and scraps that I had to assume had come from Hawkmoth when she had been yanked to him earlier. I kept looked for Adrien, though, and sighed when I saw him fighting his father. He was keeping up with him, and I could see him trying to talk his father out of this, although I couldn't hear what he was saying. His dad looked angry. Unsure.

I yelped as I was grabbed by the Akuma I was on, trying to stab my claws into its hand and trying to get out of its hold. "Let go!" I snarled, trying to work my way out of his hold. It just tightened, and I growled, trying to figure out how to get out of this position.

As I struggled, I failed to notice the purple mist coming up the Akuma's body until the last second when it's hand disappeared, and I suddenly felt a small sense of dread. "Uh-oh...." I muttered, before gravity forced me to fall to the ground. I let out a pained grunt when I landed, sitting up and rubbing my lower back. "Ow.... What the heck happened?" I looked around, noticing how all the Akuma were disappearing along with the butterflies. My eyes widened and I looked over to where Chat Noir was with Hawkmoth.

Adrien was panting heavily, a foot on his father's chest and his staff pointed right under his father's chin with his other hand holding the moth miraculous high in the air and as far away from his dad as possible. His eyes were pained. "Stop this- please!"

"Chat!" I rushed over to him along with Ladybug, and we all stood around his father. Mr. Agreste glared at us, and I flinched.

"Mr. Agreste, please. Whatever you are doing this for, it's not worth it." I said softly, and he scoffed.

"What do you know, you brat?" He spat, and I frowned, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Now listen here, you-"

"Please, dad." Chat Noir said softly, cutting off my reprimand. Everyone in the room froze, looking at Adrien with wide eyes.

"C-Chat, wait a minute..." I said shakily, glancing at him and then Ladybug and Hawkmoth. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

Adrien took a deep breath and removed his ring, canceling the transformation and causing a bright green flash to blind us for a moment. When it was gone, Adrien was back to his civilian form, his foot still on his father's chest but his staff gone. Plagg was floating next to him, and Adrien looked on the verge of tears. "Please," he repeated to his father, the butterfly miraculous clutched tightly in his hand. "It won't bring mom back."

Ladybug gasped, looking ready to faint, and Hawkmoth stared with wide eyes at the superhero- his son. I placed a hand on his shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze. I looked back to Mr. Agreste, feeling pity for the man. "Mr. Agreste, you must stop this. Nothing good will come of it, and Adrien needs his father. I understand the world has been cruel to you, but this is no way to handle your situation." I said softly, and the older man stared at me for a moment before looking back at Adrien.

"Adrien, please, you must understand-"

"No, father! You need to understand! Mom's _gone_ and that's how it has been for the past three years!" Adrien snapped, surprising his father and I. Ladybug seemed to be silently panicking over something else, even though she was trying to focus on not he situation at hand. "What am I going to do if I lose you, too?!"

Mr. Agreste opened his mouth, as if to say something, and then closed it again, looking away from us. He still said nothing, and Adrien whimpered slightly. I huffed, frowning at Mr. Agreste for a moment before turning to look at Adrien. Faintly, I could hear police sirens outside. "Okay, that's it. Adrien, Ladybug, we are going to take Mr. Agreste downstairs to the police so that they can deal with the aftermath, and I am taking you to my place." I huffed, snapping my fingers in front of Ladybug's face to get her attention again. "Hey, Ladybug, I thought you were the leader here." I commented in a teasing tone, before pointing to Mr. Agreste. "Can you take him down to the police and explain everything...? I'll get Adrien out of here."

"Huh? Oh,yeah, sure." Ladybug said, snapping out of her daze. She blushed and smiled at Adrien. "Don't worry, I'll make sure they keep his identity a secret and he'll be back to you in no time." She said with a surprising amount of certainty before winking at Adrien and helping Mr. Agreste to his feet. She pinned his hands behind his back and left the room, heading downstairs to where the police were.

I sighed and looked at Adrien again, seeing how he wouldn't meet my eyes and was staring at the floor. I stepped closer, hugging him tightly. "You did good, Adrien." I whispered, "You did good."


	35. A Story Within A Story (Part 2)

That evening, after Adrien had gotten the sadness and betrayal out of his system and we spent the entire day fooling around, I laid down on my bed and stared at the ceiling of my room. Neeks flew over, sitting on my chest.

"Wow... Busy day, huh?" He said softly, and I nodded, reaching up to pet him. "Think Adrien will be okay?" I nodded before pointing to my mouth.

"He's tough." I mouthed, "He's been preparing for this for months."

Neeks' ears flattened against his head. "Well... Still. It feels wrong that he's home alone."

"I know, but he insisted." I mouthed, frowning slightly. "Mom and I both offered him to stay the night."

"Do you think she knows?" Neeks asked, and I shrugged. "Anyway, it's amazing the media hasn't tried to figure out Hawkmoth's identity. Guess Ladybug's request really got through."

"Well, it is different from the Akuma. Mr. Agreste knew what he was doing." Neeks sighed softly at my words, and flew to his pillow, settling himself down on it.

"Well, I'm tired.... Sleep well tonight, Jasper." He said with a large yawn before closing his eyes. I nodded, giving him a few more pets before looking at my ceiling again. Even though Neeks was tired, I was wide awake. I had no desire to sleep just yet. I sighed faintly, sitting up and grabbing my writing notebook, flipping the pages back to the story I had been writing all those months ago. I thumbed the page, rereading what I had written a few times, before pulling the pencil out of the spiral binding and placing it to the paper.

_The next day, after the sun had fallen, Felix and Oliver made their way to the edge of the forest, with Oliver riding on Tivachi's back. Felix untethered his horse, fed it,  got onto its back, and they went on their way. On their journey, Felix studied the strange duo in the silence that usually fell over them all, taking note of whatever he could._

_He noticed how Tivachi would periodically make Oliver walk, although he stuck close to the vampire boy, as if to make sure he didn't fall. He noticed how Oliver always looked tired and worn, and that whenever Tivachi brought him something to eat, he would look disgusted with himself even as he hungrily gulped down as much blood as he could. Sadly, he also noticed that most of it was thrown up about ten minutes later._

_Tivachi did most of the talking when Felix asked questions. Did most of the talking in general. He explained that Oliver's body was used to being empty, and while it hungered to be filled, it couldn't handle regaining so much at once.  Oliver throwing up was a regular occurrence, no matter what they tried. The wolf explained that Oliver wasn't much of a talker because of similar reasons, but they were working on it._

_"He hasn't spoken to anyone in thousands of years," Tivachi explained one night, when they were waiting patiently for Oliver to come back from where he had gone to throw up blood. "Add on the fact his throat was burned terribly from the chains on his cloak, and you've got a boy who could barely say a single word before coughing when I first met him." Felix looked over to the wolf, noticing the sadness and pride in his silver eyes as he continued to speak. "He gets tired easily when speaking now, and his throat pains him if he talks too much at once, but he's made so much progress in the months I've known him."_

_"...Did they mean to leave the chain on his throat?" Felix asked softly, looking towards where Oliver had gone when he heard leaves rustling. Oliver was walking towards them, the back of his hand pressed against his mouth and his gaze locked on the ground. Tivachi sighed, standing so Oliver could climb back on when he reached them._

_"Who knows? Whether it was an accident or a form of torture, not even Oliver knows." Tivachi's eyes slid over to Felix, who shivered from their intensity. "Either way, it was left there to hurt him."_

_Tivachi's tail wagged when Oliver came over, and he licked the vampire's cheek before he climbed on, then they continued on their journey._

_Felix noticed how Oliver's neck dipped harshly where the scars were._

_It took them five days to return to the castle, and when they neared the gate, Oliver pulled his hood over his head, hiding his face from view. Felix had them stop before reaching it, and he reached up to pet Noir. "Noir, can you head inside and let King Jun know I came back with the vampire? I don't know how the guards will react, and they might not let us in." He said softly, causing the cat God to scoff before yawning loudly._

_"Please, they have to let him in. He was chosen by a god, after all. If they don't listen to that, then I'll go." He said, hitting Felix's face with his tail and making the Knight frown._

_"I-I don't know, Felix..." Oliver's scratchy and hoarse voice spoke up, and Felix looked down to where he sat on Tivachi's back, hands twisting nervously in the wolf god's fur before smoothing it and repeating the process. Oliver wasn't looking at him as he carefully thought about what he wanted to say. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. No one in the castle is going to feel safe with me there."_

_Felix sighed heavily, swinging himself off his horse's back so he could look at Oliver more easily. "Alright, listen here, Oliver. You have had five days to back out, and now that we are finally here, you want to leave? I can't let you do that, bud. Come on, everyone will love you when they learn the real you."_

_"You don't even know the real me." Oliver said so quietly, Felix almost didn't catch it. He smiled, offering Oliver his hand. Oliver hesitated before taking it and sliding off Tivachi's back._

_"I know you are the kindest vampire I have ever had the pleasure of meeting, and you wouldn't hurt a fly." Felix said with a small laugh, Tivachi snorting slightly behind them, as he started walking with Oliver to the gates. He kept the vampire close, feeling how his legs tried to buckle underneath him almost constantly, and he hopped a little as if to keep his weight off one of his feet._

_When they reached the gate, the guards there welcomed him back excitedly, but their expressions changed to serious when they noticed Oliver beside him. "Felix, who's that?" One of them asked with a frown, walking closer and making Oliver flinch when he got a little too close and held the torch in his hand closer to him in an attempt to see his face. Felix carefully shuffled them back a step at that, wanting to keep the vampire in his comfort zone._

_"This is Oliver. I found him in the Forest. He was chosen by one of the gods there." He explained, and the guards looked at each other in confusion._

_"But no one's supposed to go there besides Knights."_

_"He met his god outside the forest." Noir stated, jumping from Felix's shoulders and onto Tivachi's head. "This is his God, Tivachi." At the introduction, Tivachi bowed his head in greeting, but said nothing as Noir continued. "Now let us through, will ya? I want to sleep in my bed again."_

_The guards quickly let them pass, watching Oliver wearily. Felix pulled the boy closer, after handing his horse's reigns to a stable hand, and smiled at him. "King Jun is probably sleeping right now, so how about you spend the night in my room with me, and we'll get everything sorted in the morning. Do you think you can take a nap until morning?"_

_Oliver nodded, and Tivachi nudged his hand gently. "You did great, pup. Everything will turn out alright, don't worry." He said softly, making Oliver smile weakly._

_Felix let Oliver climb back onto Tivachi's back again when they reached a long flight of stairs, and they went up to the next floor. He led them to his room, opening the door for Tivachi and watching them take in the simple room._

_His room was nothing extravangent, the walls mostly bare aside from a few banners that symbolized his rank and the country he was apart of. He had a desk against one wall, scrolls and books piled neatly on top of it, with writing utensils on one corner. A bed, big enough for two, with black and green sheets and white pillows was pressed agains the other wall, leaving space for a black and green carpet on the stone floor between the two structures. An armoire was in the corner of the room, next to the large window that covered most of the wall and allowed moonlight to flood the room with light. Noir jumped from Tivachi's head and darted to the windowsill, which was big enough for a person to sit or even lay, and made himself at home on a smaller black pillow than the ones on the bed, a loud sigh escaping the God as he stretched on it._

_"Ah, the wonderful comforts of a bed! How I've missed you!" He purred, making the group laugh._

_Felix closed and locked his door, and watched as Tivachi walked to the bed, letting Oliver climb onto it before settling himself on the carpet besides the bed. The white wolf God and Oliver's shock of white hair and pale skin stood out drastically against the decor the castle servants had given his room, and Felix was faintly reminded of freshly fallen snow and how beautiful the pair was._

_"You can sleep on either side of the bed, but it'll be a bit hard for the servants to see you in the morning if you sleep against the wall while I take the outer edge." Felix said, shedding the pieces of armor he had on as he walked to the armoire. As he put his armor away, he thought about whether or not he should change into his night clothes, but after a moment decided that would probably be too much for Oliver and he walked back over to his bed after stripping to only his undershirt and cotton pants._

_Oliver had pressed himself against the wall, and was fiddling with the torn and frayed edges of his pants, staring at the bed. "Oliver?" Felix asked softly as he settled himself on the edge of the bed, and the vampire slowly lifted his head to meet Felix's eyes. "You know you can relax while your here, and can ask me anything, right?"_

_Oliver nodded, shifting around a little nervously and biting his lip. "I don't.. Want to make your bed even more dirty." He said softly, and Felix chuckled a little._

_"Oh, don't worry about that. I'm covered in sweat and dust, too. You won't get it dirty, and it can be washed tomorrow if it really bothers you." Felix said softly, reaching up to ruffle the boy's hair._

_Oliver was quiet for a moment longer, before he opened his mouth to speak. "C-Can you..." He started slowly, moving one of his hands up to point to the silver clasps of his cloak. Felix immediately understood, and he reached under his shirt collar carefully, unclasping the chain and taking Oliver's cloak off of him. He stood up again, folding it and dropping it carefully over his desk chair as Oliver said a soft thank you._

_He went back over to his bed and lifted the sheets, getting under them along with Oliver. Tivachi chuckled from his place on the floor. "Get some rest, boys. I'll wake you when you need to get up."_

_Neither boy protested, falling asleep with ease._

I sighed softly, looking at my charging phone to check the time. 12:23 AM, it showed me, and I closed my notebook, putting my pencil back in the spiral and setting it back on the nightstand as I yawned. I turned off the lamp beside my bed and made myself comfortable under my sheets, closing my eyes and letting the steady breathing of Neeks lull me to sleep.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A notice to those who liked this separate story: I've decided to turn this into it's own book, which will be titled "Acadia (Jasper's Story)" and will be put up tomorrow or the next day! It'll focus 100% on Oliver and Felix and their lives at the castle. Cover art would be lovely, if anyone would like to make some, and perhaps a better name (Acadia is a place holder until something better comes up) ^^' I apologize if that sounded selfish. Most of my things are in storage and I can't make a cover myself thanks to it, otherwise I wouldn't ask.
> 
> DON'T WORRY, THE KISS IS COMING hint: Check in January 28th :3


	36. Forevermore

A few days later, in the evening, Paris held a little celebration in honor of Hawkmoth's defeat at the Eiffel Tower, which was where it all started. Most of the city went to it, even tourists, because, hey, it's a city-wide party. It was actually amazing how detailed it was, though, considering the town had no idea _who_ Hawkmoth was. I was surprised with how easily they accepted that he was defeated, but weren't allowed to know his identity.

There were going to be fireworks, there was food and drink (alcoholic and non-alcoholic), there were a few selected carnival rides, and Jagged Stone was performing. I'm sure there was more, but I had honestly stopped paying attention after that.

My mom was going to the celebration with Astrid and Noel, and I was going with little Evangelique, Marinette, Alya, Nino, and Adrien. I was proud of Adrien; after a day or so he was back to normal and happy again. I feel like he had been preparing himself for this since he found out where Hawkmoth's lair was, but it still made me happy to see Adrien truly happy again, even if it took such a small amount of time.

Adrien and I knew we'd have to sneak away at some point in order to make the guest-star appearances of Chat Noir and Wolven, and I had a feeling Marinette was going to have the same problem.

The party began at 8 o'clock that evening, when it was already dark and the city was filled with lights. Everyone was dressed in party clothes, the adults in a bit more controlled clothing, but most of the young adults and teenagers wore outfits like they were possibly going to clubs or house parties. My group of friends and I, however, kept our clothing choices a bit more conservative.

Alya dressed in a simple orange and red summer dress, a small black purse slung over her shoulder so she could keep her phone by her side. She had her arm hooked with Nino's, who was wearing an outfit similar to his normal outfit, although it was a lighter blue shirt and a button up, and he wasn't wearing his normal hat-he was wearing a dark gray one-  or his headphones. Marinette had yet to show up, but I remember her talking about a new dress she had just finished making, a white one with cherry blossoms dappling the top left and bottom right corners. I had a feeling she'd be wearing that. Adrien was wearing a long sleeved, black button up and white denim skinny jeans, and he was still wearing those dorky orange converse that just suited him well.

I was dressed in an outfit Neeks had picked out for me. A black tank top with a red and black flannel shirt on top of it, the sleeves rolled up to my elbows. My normal blue scarf was replaced by a soft red one, and I was wearing the red beanie Marinette had made me. My pants were some of the worn down jeans I owned with holes in the legs and frayed edges, and I was wearing red converse. Neeks had on a tiny little blue bow tie I had found, and he was wearing it proudly even though no one would see. Evangelique was wearing one of her favorite dresses, a simple lilac dress with a faint sprinkling of sparkles that looked a little light rain.

While Jagged Stone was performing, the others danced with each other while I danced with Evangelique, spinning the young girl around a few times and causing her to break out into a burst of giggles and laughs. Her smile was so wide, you could see where she was missing missing a baby tooth. Adrien turned to us and offered Evalgelique his hand, and after glancing between the two of us, she took his hand as well, and just started dancing with us both, making us laugh.

I exchanged glances with Adrien when Neeks nudged my side, and I looked to Alya and Nino with a hopeful look.

"Hey, can you guys watch Evangelique for a little bit? Jasper and I need to do something real quick." Adrien asked, and the two looked at each other before grinning. I immediately knew what was going through their minds and I blushed darkly. "It's not like that!" I mouthed, making them laugh.

"Uh-huh. Sure. Go have fun, love birds!" Alya said, waving us off as Nino literally swept little Angel off her feet and started dancing with her. The little girl's laughs grew even louder, and Adrien and I made our escape. We went past the edge of the crowd, and when we were certain we were safe, transformed into our superhero identities.

We made our way back to the celebration, finding Ladybug already waiting by the mayor as he made his speech about how proud he was of everyone during the time Hawkmoth was there and how thankful he was for us superheroes. Eventually he finally got around to introducing us, and the three of us stepped forward, receiving cheers and claps. I laughed softly, smiling brightly and waved, looking for our friends. I heard especially loud cheering and looked in that direction, seeing Evangelique perched on her father's shoulders, screaming at the top of her lungs. Alya and Nino joined her, and soon the adults joined in as well. Ladybug slung her arms over our shoulders, laughing happily as she smiled at the crowd. Adrien was laughing and grinning, eyes shining.

After a few more minutes of doing that, we were finally able to give up the stage to Jagged Stone again, and we mingled with the crowd for a bit.

\---------

An hour passed, and Adrien and I decided to sneak away for another outing. We lost track of Ladybug probably a half hour ago, but we figured she had just detransformed and gone to join our family and friends in the celebration.

We escaped practically unnoticed, the adrenaline of the happiness and giddiness of the party still pumping through our bodies as we ran off into the darkened streets of Paris . We stayed away from the Eiffel Tower, so as to not be caught. We leapt onto buildings, racing each other around the city.

Fireworks were going off by the Eiffel Tower, and cheers could be heard over the music, which had changed from Jagged Stone to a mishmash of songs that were popular. It was like New Years in at least America, or even the Fourth of July.

Adrien and I were still laughing and trying to catch our breath as we rested at one of the bridges over the Seine, watching the water quietly flow beneath us. I sighed, looking up at the sky. "Man, can you believe it? We finally beat Hawkmoth!" I said excitedly, smiling at him.

"I honestly never thought it was going to happen. I mean, we've been fighting him for close to two years!" Adrien laughed softly, looking up at the stars. "This past year has been the most fun I've ever had."

"Me too. I haven't had this much fun in a long, long time." I said with a smile, bumping my shoulder with his.

We fell into a comfortable silence, listening to the far off sounds of the celebration. I laughed softly. "Angel was certain happy when dancing with us."

Adrien laughed and nodded. "Yeah, she was almost crying she was laughing so hard."

"Makes me wonder what she'd do if we went up to her and asked her to dance while we were like this."

Adrien burst out laughing, smiling brightly as he spoke. "Jasper! The poor girl would probably have a heart attack!"

I laughed as well, although this time it was more because of Adrien's laugh and how happy he looked, and it was contagious.

After a few moments, when we had lapsed into comfortable silence again, I hummed, looking up at the sky. My ears perked up as I got a rather childish idea. "Hey, Adrien?"

"Yeah?"

"Tag, you're it!" I shouted, tapping him on the shoulder and running away from him as fast as I could while grinning.

"Hey!" Adrien laughed, and I could hear him running after me. "That's no fair, Jasper!"

I almost ended up cackling, laughing as I jumped up onto the roof of a building so I could maneuver better. I could hear him land on the roof behind me, and when I glanced behind me to see where he was, let out a childish scream when I saw him closing in.

I ran faster, pushing my legs to their limits as I ran. My heart was pounding with excitement in my chest, making me giddy and excited.

  
I whooped as I jumped from a building, landing with a run on the next roof, Adrien a few steps behind me. He laughed as he chased me, and I risked another glance back at him. He was grinning, a thin sheen of sweat on his brow as we ran from roof to roof.

I turned back around and jumped from the roof I was on, landing on the ground and stumbling for a moment. I kept running though, although now it was through the streets.

I let out a surprised sound when I was tackled from behind, and Adrien and I rolled along the ground, laughing the whole time even after we came to a stop.

When I opened my eyes once I could control myself, I found Adrien on top of me, his hands bracing himself up by my head and his cheeks flushed with exertion. He was smiling so happily, panting as he calmed down. His eyes were sparkling as he looked down at me, and I could hear my heart pounding in my ears.

I didn't realize we were getting closer until our noses brushed, and I jerked slightly in surprise, nearly whacking my head on the ground beneath me, but didn't move away. Our breaths mingled, and I could smell the mint toothpaste or mouthwash he used. Could smell his father's cologne brand. He was so close. I couldn't take my eyes away from his, and then I could feel his soft lips brush against my chapped ones. My breath hitched, and suddenly there was more force, his warmth engulfed me and my eyes slipped closed, my arms wound their way around his neck.

The kiss wasn't by any means perfect. It was messy and wet and our teeth clanged together on accident more than on purpose, but it made my heart race and took what little breath I had away. I could only pull Adrien closer as he carefully rested his body against mine, his arms still supporting him.

We slowly parted, my arms loosening their grip around his neck as my eyes slowly opened to look at Adrien once more, and he took my breath away from me again before it even had a chance to return.

He smiled that slightly crooked smile of his, his eyes happy and filled with affection. His cheeks were bright red, and I could imagine mine weren't any better.

I was scared to break this moment, felt that one word would snap us out of this quiet trance we had put each other in, and it'd suddenly be awkward and embarrassing.

My hands slipped from around his neck to his cheeks, and I cupped his face in my hands, running my thumbs just underneath his mask. One of his hands came to caress my own cheek, and I leaned into the gentle touch. Absentmindedly, I noticed both of us were trembling.

 _He's scared, too._ I thought, biting my lip.

"Adr-"  
"Jas-"  
We began at the same time, making the both of us stop and stare at each other a bit longer.

"You can-"  
"Sorry, you-"  
Again, we cut each other off, and now I was feeling a smile start to form and a laugh bubble in my throat. Adrien also looked amused, his shoulders shaking ever so slightly as he held in his own laugh.

"You look-"  
"You're so-"  
We stared at each other for a little while longer, before both of us burst out laughing. Adrien resting his head on my shoulder as he laughed and I laughed towards the sky, moving to wrap my arms around him and hug him close to me.

When we stopped laughing, I let go of Adrien, smiling up at him. "We are such dorks." I said softly, laughing a little still. Adrien smiled, nodding in agreement.

"Yeah, we are. But that's what makes you so cute." Adrien said with a small grin, and I could feel the blood rush to my face. I hid my face with my hands and groaned in embarrassment, and Adrien laughed again, leaning down to nuzzle me. "Aw, come on, Jasper! It's true!"

"No it's not....! By the Angel, Adrien, stop being super attractive and adorable for one minute or I'm going to pass out from all the blood rushing to my head!" I laughed, still hiding my face.

"'By the Angel'? What's that reference for?"

"....The Mortal Instruments...." I admitted softly, and Adrien hummed, propping himself up properly again.

"I see." Adrien grabbed my wrists gingerly, gently tugging them away from my face. I let him, knowing he wasn't going to hurt me in any way. "Sounds interesting." He said softly, running his thumbs lightly over the underside of my wrists. I shivered from the feeling, smiling shyly up at him. He smiled down at me, before gently pulling me up into a sitting position. He was still on my lap, though, and now he was blushing a little more form how close we were.

I bit my lip, watching as Adrien's eyes flicked down to them for a quick second before going back to my eyes. "So... What does this make us?" I asked after a moment, and now Adrien was the one biting his lip. He averted his gaze, looking unsure.

"I-I don't know... I really like you though, and I-I really want to keep kissing you...."

"So.... Boyfriends?" I suggested with a small smile. Adrien laughed shyly, nodding slightly.

"Yeah. Yeah, I want to be your boyfriend.... But what about all the publicity that might happen? I don't want to get you dragged into that." He admitted, and I smiled a bit wider, giggling and nuzzling Adrien.

"Aw~! That's so sweet of you to worry about that!" Adrien's face turned bright red, and I hummed, pleased. "I was thinking about that, actually.... I was thinking, in our civilian forms, we can do whatever couples do at my place and around our friends, because they are already super crazy about us getting together... And for Wolven and Cat Noir? Well, that's your call. Do you want the city to know?"

Adrien bit his lip, thinking as he registered my words. I waited patiently for a decision, my hands playing around with Adrien's hair and fake ears. After a minute or so of that, Adrien started purring ever so slightly, and my grin only grew wider. He was quiet a few minutes longer, before he sighed, "I... I'm okay with them knowing, I think. I just- I don't want them to blow it out of proportion."

"Hey, I think we can trust Madame Chamak and Alya to keep them straight."

"It's not them I'm worried about, it's all the magazines." He said softly, sighing again as he rested his forehead against mine.

"It'll be fine. I'm a big boy, I can handle it." I said reassuringly, running my hand gently through Adrien's hair. I scoffed slightly, smiling faintly. "I mean, in America my dad and my accident was in the news for like, three days world wide and a week or two on the local news of my town. _That_ was publicity I didn't want. Especially for that officer I told you about. So many stupid people condemned him for helping me, it was actually sickening to hear."

Adrien smiled sadly, biting his lip. "I'm still sorry about that."

I nudged his arm playfully. "Don't be. It's in the past now. _I'm_ sorry I keep bringing it up."

Adrien chuckled a little, biting his lip as he looked at me again. "But you're seriously going to be okay with this?"

"Of course! Trust me, everything will be okay." On impulse, I leaned forward, placing a chaste kiss on his lips. When I moved back, Adrien's face was dark red and I laughed softly, biting my lip. "Y'know, I think we'll end up being the death of each other, at this rate."

Adrien laughed at that, nodding a little. "Yeah, probably. I think we'll get used to it though."

"That's true." I smiled again, nuzzling Adrien once more. We could hear a softer song drift out on the wind, carrying from the Eiffel Tower. Adrien smiled, standing up and offering his hand. I took his hand and stood up as he helped me, and glanced towards the celebration again.

"We should head back." He stated softly, and I sighed softly nodding.

"Yeah, we should. Come on." I took his hand and we walked back to the party together, lightly bumping my shoulder with his. We found a place to detransform, and Plagg faked disgust.

"Aw, gross! You guys were so lovey-covey it almost made me sick!"

"Aw, Plagg!" Neeks laughed, flying over to the small black Kwami. "Don't be like that! It was cute! Besides, it's about time something happened!" He said with a small laugh, smiling wolfishly at the two of us and causing us to blush.

Plagg made a disgusted noise, sitting on Adrien's shoulder. "Yuck! Stop making me lose my appetite!"

"Oh, so you _won't_ want this piece of Camembert?" Adrien asked, pulling out a piece of the cheese with a small smirk. Plagg gasped, flying over and snatching the piece, swallowing it hole.

"Okay, well, it _almost_ wrecked my appetite."

Adrien, Neeks and I laughed, shaking our head at the God of Destruction. I pulled out a small handful of candy for Neeks and he dove in, shuffling through the candy as he tried to find one he wanted to eat. Eventually he pulled out a small caramel candy, and he popped it into his mouth, humming happily. "Thank you Arabians for inventing this wonderful sweet." He said dreamily, licking his lips. I chuckled weakly, stifling a small cough as I did, and scratched Neeks behind his ears.

"Hey, Jasper? The next time you need to get candy, can we get maple syrup candy?" I smiled, nodding. Neeks hummed, pleased, and flew to hide in the folds of my scarf once again. Plagg found his own place to hide on Adrien's person, and together, we made our way back to the celebration.

When Adrien and I reached the celebration, people were beginning to leave, tired and desperately needing sleep. Plenty of people were still dancing and enjoying the music, but there were quite a few people who were content with talking with others. We made our way to our friends, saying hello to Marinette, who was in fact dressed in the white and pink cherry blossom dress with her hair down. She looked really pretty. Noel had taken Evangelique home a little while ago since she had apparently started falling asleep, and Astrid had something to do tomorrow so she had gone home as well, leaving Mom to watch over our small group with the Dupain-Chengs.

Alya had a cat like grin on her face, which made me think she probably had a vague idea of what happened, but I wasn't entirely sure. We talked as if everything was normal, Adrien and I not really wanting to tell them what had occurred just yet.

We jumped when all the lights and the music suddenly cut off, some people screaming form the suddenness. A malicious female laugh rang out over the crowd, and the Eiffel Tower suddenly lit up again, highlighting the figure of a woman standing on top of the tower. Neeks whimpered quietly from his hiding spot and pressed closer, and Adrien grabbed my hand, tense. A murmur spread through the crowd, a few people pointing to where the lady stood, her long hair blowing in the wind.

"People of Paris!" The woman shouted, her voice calm and almost melodic. "A two year reign of fear, finally over. Your... _godly_ superheroes have defeated Hawkmoth." She stated, stressing the word godly in such a way it almost seemed mocking. She paused, chuckling. "Well, I will let you rejoice for now. But listen well! I am not like that man. Your superheroes are not done fighting!

"Be afraid, heroes! For this fight, _will_ be your last! You will fall by my hand!" Her voice rang out over the crowd, and she laughed again, voice softening only slightly. "Little _Neeks_ , my dear, you can't run and hide forever. Your chosen will fall again. You cannot defy fate."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE END! Welcome to the end of Cat's New Toy, get ready for.....
> 
> Without the Mask (Sequel to Cat's New Toy)
> 
> Yeah, Without the Mask won by a landslide. 30 votes, with the runner up having 12 votes.
> 
> I was listening to Forevermore by Broken Iris while writing this, along with a bunch of their other songs, but Forevermore was almost kind of like the inspiration for this chapter. Also I'm sorry if the kiss scene was cheesy, I just felt that it fit Adrien and Jasper in my mind, and the aftermath. I have never had anything similar to an actual relationship (sad, right?), so this is literally all guessing to how they would react.


	37. Sequel is Up!

Yep, you read the title correctly! _Without the Mask_ is finally up and running! Go to my profile to get to it or to the series _The Cat and His Wolf,_ as it is the 3rd part of that series. Whichever you prefer. Either way, it's there :)

WARNING: There is a kind of long Authors note at the beginning. But the middle/end of that note is really all that matters because it talks about Adrien and Jasper. Also there is another Author's Note at the end that I would like you to read.

**Author's Note:**

> Come visit me over at tumblr! http://timetoshine16.tumblr.com


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